Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide healthcare emergency. Whether insufficient beta-lactam antibiotic concentrations can be associated with AMR emergence remains controversial. This is a retrospective single-center cohort study including patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a te...

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Main Authors: Anita Farinella, Michele Salvagno, Andrea Minini, Laila Attanasio, Ana Cunha, Marco Menozzi, Andres Saravia, Filipe Amado, Julie Gorham, Maya Hites, Fabio Silvio Taccone, Elisa Gouvêa Bogossian
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Life
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/5/739
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author Anita Farinella
Michele Salvagno
Andrea Minini
Laila Attanasio
Ana Cunha
Marco Menozzi
Andres Saravia
Filipe Amado
Julie Gorham
Maya Hites
Fabio Silvio Taccone
Elisa Gouvêa Bogossian
author_facet Anita Farinella
Michele Salvagno
Andrea Minini
Laila Attanasio
Ana Cunha
Marco Menozzi
Andres Saravia
Filipe Amado
Julie Gorham
Maya Hites
Fabio Silvio Taccone
Elisa Gouvêa Bogossian
author_sort Anita Farinella
collection DOAJ
description Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide healthcare emergency. Whether insufficient beta-lactam antibiotic concentrations can be associated with AMR emergence remains controversial. This is a retrospective single-center cohort study including patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital from 2009 to 2014, who required a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic and had at least one therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Patients were categorized as having inadequate drug levels if the trough concentration (Cmin) fell below the clinical breakpoint for <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. AMR was defined according to breakpoints recommended by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) using the disk diffusion method. A total of 444 patients (male sex, <i>n</i> = 313, 71%; female sex, <i>n</i> = 131, 29%; mean age 58 ± 15 years) were enrolled in the study. Patients received piperacillin/tazobactam (<i>n</i> = 168), ceftazidime/cefepime (<i>n</i> = 58) or meropenem (<i>n</i> = 218); among them, 65 (15%) had insufficient drug levels. Nine of these 65 (13.8%) patients with insufficient antibiotic levels acquired at least one pathogen with AMR within 15 days of TDM, when compared to 84/379 (22%) in the other group (OR 0.56 [95%CI 0.27–1.19]; <i>p</i> = 0.13). In a multivariable competing-risk analysis including male gender, APACHE score on admission, previous colonization by other MDR bacteria, urinary catheter, central venous catheter, mechanical ventilation, previous hospitalization and previous surgery, insufficient antibiotic levels were not associated with AMR acquisition (sHR 0.84 [95% CI 0.42–1.68]). Similar results were found when a higher threshold was used to define insufficient drug levels (C<sub>min</sub> < 4 times the clinical breakpoint). In conclusion, insufficient beta-lactam levels were not independently associated with AMR acquisition. Future prospective studies are needed to evaluate better the relationship between low drug levels and antibiotic resistance acquisition.
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spelling doaj-art-2ff11d58cdbf4ecaba50bd84784265dd2025-08-20T03:47:57ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-05-0115573910.3390/life15050739Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill PatientsAnita Farinella0Michele Salvagno1Andrea Minini2Laila Attanasio3Ana Cunha4Marco Menozzi5Andres Saravia6Filipe Amado7Julie Gorham8Maya Hites9Fabio Silvio Taccone10Elisa Gouvêa Bogossian11Department of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumClinic of Infectious Diseases, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lenik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Intensive Care, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a worldwide healthcare emergency. Whether insufficient beta-lactam antibiotic concentrations can be associated with AMR emergence remains controversial. This is a retrospective single-center cohort study including patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital from 2009 to 2014, who required a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic and had at least one therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Patients were categorized as having inadequate drug levels if the trough concentration (Cmin) fell below the clinical breakpoint for <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. AMR was defined according to breakpoints recommended by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) using the disk diffusion method. A total of 444 patients (male sex, <i>n</i> = 313, 71%; female sex, <i>n</i> = 131, 29%; mean age 58 ± 15 years) were enrolled in the study. Patients received piperacillin/tazobactam (<i>n</i> = 168), ceftazidime/cefepime (<i>n</i> = 58) or meropenem (<i>n</i> = 218); among them, 65 (15%) had insufficient drug levels. Nine of these 65 (13.8%) patients with insufficient antibiotic levels acquired at least one pathogen with AMR within 15 days of TDM, when compared to 84/379 (22%) in the other group (OR 0.56 [95%CI 0.27–1.19]; <i>p</i> = 0.13). In a multivariable competing-risk analysis including male gender, APACHE score on admission, previous colonization by other MDR bacteria, urinary catheter, central venous catheter, mechanical ventilation, previous hospitalization and previous surgery, insufficient antibiotic levels were not associated with AMR acquisition (sHR 0.84 [95% CI 0.42–1.68]). Similar results were found when a higher threshold was used to define insufficient drug levels (C<sub>min</sub> < 4 times the clinical breakpoint). In conclusion, insufficient beta-lactam levels were not independently associated with AMR acquisition. Future prospective studies are needed to evaluate better the relationship between low drug levels and antibiotic resistance acquisition.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/5/739antimicrobial resistancemulti-drug resistancetherapeutic drug monitoringbeta-lactams
spellingShingle Anita Farinella
Michele Salvagno
Andrea Minini
Laila Attanasio
Ana Cunha
Marco Menozzi
Andres Saravia
Filipe Amado
Julie Gorham
Maya Hites
Fabio Silvio Taccone
Elisa Gouvêa Bogossian
Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients
Life
antimicrobial resistance
multi-drug resistance
therapeutic drug monitoring
beta-lactams
title Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients
title_full Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients
title_fullStr Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients
title_full_unstemmed Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients
title_short Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Concentrations and the Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients
title_sort beta lactam antibiotic concentrations and the acquisition of multi drug resistant bacteria in critically ill patients
topic antimicrobial resistance
multi-drug resistance
therapeutic drug monitoring
beta-lactams
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/5/739
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