Medicine

Recurrence Of Gram-Negative Bacterial Blood Stream Infections Due To Relapse Not Reinfection

• byDoctor News Daily Team
• 18 February, 2025
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A recent investigation has revealed that relapse was the most common cause of recurrent Gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections (GNB-BSI). The study was published in the journal, "Clinical Infectious Diseases."
As there is not much understanding of the causes and clinical characteristics of recurrent gram-negative bacterial bloodstream infections (GNB-BSI), researchers from the U.S.A. conducted a study to understand the recurrence pattern of the GNB-BSI. A prospective study was conducted on patients with GNB-BSI to identify clinical characteristics, microbiology, and risk factors associated with these recurrent infections. Bacterial genotyping which included both pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] and whole genome sequencing [WGS] was used to define whether these episodes were due to relapse or reinfection. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with recurrence.

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Results:
1423 patients with GNB-BSI met the criteria for inclusion in this study.
Of these 60 (4%) had recurrent GNB-BSI.
Non-white race, admission to a surgical service, and presence of an indwelling cardiac device were associated with increased risk for recurrent GNB-BSI.
63% were due to relapse (30/48) and 38% were due to reinfection (18/48) based on WGS, among the 48 patients with recurrent GNB-BSI whose paired bloodstream isolates underwent genotyping,
PFGE correctly differentiated relapse and reinfection in 98% (47/48) of cases compared with WGS.
The median time to relapse and reinfection was similar (113 days vs. 174 days).
The presence of a cardiac device was associated with relapse.
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Thus, the researchers concluded that relapse was the most common cause of recurrent GNB-BSI, and the presence of a cardiac device was a risk factor for relapse. They also found that PFGE was more accurate in differentiating relapse from reinfection when compared with WGS.
To read the full article, click here: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac638
Bock A, Hanson BM, Ruffin F, et al. Clinical and Molecular Analysis of Recurrent Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections [published online ahead of print, 2022 Aug 5]. Clin Infect Dis. 2022;ciac638.