Risk factors for carbapenem resistance and outcomes when treating bloodstream infections in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Antimicrobial resistance has been associated with increased mortality and long-term hospitalisation. The European Centre for Disease Prevention has reported that a high percentage of Greek patients affected by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to carbapenem, (1). It is important to assess risk factors for carbapenem resistance to Gram-negative bacteria in hospital-acquired bloodstream infections, as some could be eliminated in vulnerable patients. Very few paediatric studies have focused on carbapenem resistance, especially in critically ill children, and there are limited impact data (2). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.