KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae enteric colonization acquired during intensive care unit stay: the significance of risk factors for its development and its impact on mortality.

A prospective observational study of 226 intensive care unit (ICU) patients was conducted during a 25-month period. Rectal samples were taken at day 1, 4, and 7 and, afterwards, once weekly. Klebsiella pneumoniae was identified using standard techniques, whereas the presence of bla(KPC) gene was confirmed by PCR. During ICU stay, 72.6% of the patients were colonized with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp). Male gender, prior bed occupants, and patients in nearby beds colonized with KPC-Kp, tracheotomy, number of invasive catheters inserted, and number of antibiotics administered were the major risk factors for KPC-Kp colonization. ICU mortality (35.4%) was significantly related to Simplified Acute Physiology II score and respiratory insufficiency upon admission, cortisone administration, aminoglycoside administration, confirmed KPC-Kp infection, and severe sepsis or septic shock. The high prevalence of KPC-Kp enteric carriage in ICU patients and the significant mortality associated with KPC-Kp infection dictate the importance of early identification and isolation of such carriers.