Clinical implications of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia.

To identify the clinical implications of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production, 162 cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia in 154 adults were analysed. Of these cases, 44 (27.2%) were ESBL-producing (ESBLKP). Common sources of ESBLKP bacteraemia included primary bacteraemia (34.1%) and biliary infection (29.5%). The placement of a biliary drainage catheter, nosocomial acquisition, and prior antibiotic therapy were independently associated with ESBL production in multivariate analysis. More cases of ESBLKP than non-ESBLKP received inappropriate antibiotic therapy before culture results were reported (54.5 vs. 3.4%; P = 0.001). In 19 cases of ESBLKP, no significant difference in mortality was observed between patients who received appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy and those who did not (26.3 vs. 20.8%; P = 0.67). The mean length of hospital stay after the onset of bacteraemia was longer in the cases of ESBLKP than in the cases of non-ESBLKP (39.6 vs. 23.9 days; P = 0.008). Directly related mortality was not significantly different between the cases of ESBLKP and the cases of non-ESBLKP (23.3 vs. 20.0%; P = 0.65). None of the patients with biliary infection due to ESBLKP died (0/12; P = 0.03). In conclusion, ESBL production was not significantly associated with death but it had a considerable impact on patients with K. pneumoniae bacteraemia. Copyright 2002 The Hospital Infection Society