Abstract 69: Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated From Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Descriptive Study
Authors: Velarde Angel , Molokwu Nneka , Escobar Karla , de Falla Vicky , Kihn Alba , Reynoso Carlos García , Moraga Javier Figueroa 
Published: June 2023

Purpose: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in cancer patients increases the frequency of sepsis, mortality and sepsis-associated costs of care, being the greatest public health threats of our time. The prevalence of AMR in cancer patients is 40% in those admitted to the ICU, accounting for direct health care costs of at least $20 billion (about $62 per person in the US). By 2050, AMR infections are expected to be the leading cause of death, but cancer patients are disproportionately impacted, therefore, this study’s objective was to determine the AMR prevalence of Gram-negative bacterial (GNB) isolated from clinical specimens at the hospital (Incan) of Liga Nacional Contra El Cancer in Guatemala.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on AMR profiles of GNB clinical isolates (n=512), and gram positive (n=121) between the years 2017 to 2019. Data were extracted from the laboratory information system in the hospital. The GNB organisms (i.e., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter, Proteus, Acinetobacter baumannii) were isolated from inpatients to the main locations at the hospital.

Results: AMR prevalence was 74.05% against ampicillin, 40.46% for amoxicillin clavulanate, 63.16% for cefoxitin, 60.54% for cefotaxime, 44.89% for cefazolin, 40.99% for ceftazidime, 13.17% for ceftriaxone, 24.83% for Ciprofloxacin, 18.8% for levofloxacin, 11.21% for Meropenem, 16.22% for Imipenem, 51.21% for gentamicin, 58.06% for amikacin, 65.28% for Trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, 53.06% for Doxycycline, 32.64% for Fosfomycin, 42.65% for Aztreonam, 30.91% for clindamycin, 0.35% for Linezolid, 49.71% for nitrofurantoin, 40.17% for Erythromycin respectively across the GNB pathogens. For specific pathogens, Pseudomona aeruginose showed 94.87% and 94.74% of resistance for ampicillin and cefotaxime respectively. E. coli resistance showed 32.28% and 61.54% for ciprofloxacin and Imipenem respectively. Enterobacter resistance was 40.38% for gentamicin. Pseudomona aeruginose showed 88.89% resistance for Doxycycline. Lastly, nitrofurantoin resistance was 100% for Acinetobacter, 93.85% for Pseudomona aeruginose, and 66.67% for Proteus Species.

Conclusions: High AMR was found among common Gram-negative bacteria at this oncology hospital. Monitoring data on antimicrobial susceptibility of common bacterial organisms is critical for assessing trends in AMR to inform stakeholders to reinforce policy decisions of antibiotic prescription at national level.

Citation Format: Angel Velarde, Nneka Molokwu, Karla Escobar, Vicky de Falla, Alba Kihn, Carlos García Reynoso, Javier Figueroa Moraga. Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated From Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Descriptive Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Closing the Research-to-Implementation Gap; 2023 Apr 4-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 69.