Risk Factors Associated with Acinetobacter baumannii Infections in Patients in an Intensive Care Unit of a Public Hospital in Paraná

Abstract

To identify risk factors for A. baumannii infection in patients hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a tertiary public hospital in Paraná, Brazil, a retrospective paired case-control study (ratio 1:2) was conducted from January 2018 to December 2020. Patients in the case group were hospitalized in the ICU with A. baumanni (n = 68 cases) and were compared with patients in the control group, without infection by A. baumannii (n = 136). Both were matched by age (±10 years), sex, and ICU stay (±5 days). Conditional multiple logistic regression was used to determine statistically significant risk factors based on the results of bivariate analyses. Mortality was higher in infected (cases) than in non-infected patients (51.5% vs. 39.7%). The incidence and bacterial resistance increased annually. At bivariate analysis, cases had longer hospital stays (median 35 vs. 22 days, p 95%: 1.03 - 1.08), transfer from another unit (OR = 5.03; CI95% 2.30 - 10.98) and colonization (OR = 9.32; CI95% 3.52 - 24.72) were independently associated with infection. The study revealed an increase in infections by A. baumannii and antimicrobial resistance. There is need for surveillance, and constant evaluation of control actions. Risk factors were colonization, previous hospitalization, and hospitalization time. This is essential for the decision-making of professionals and optimization of prevention, control, and therapeutic management actions.