Microbiological Spectrum of Neutropenic Sepsis in Cancer Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Health Care Centre

Objective: To examine the microbiological profile, sensitivity of organisms, treatment and outcomes of inpatients suffering from febrile neutropenia in a tertiary healthcare centre. Methods: Data was obtained from the Electronic Medical Health records in Aster Medcity, Cochin, IND. The study population included adult patients undergoing treatment for hematologic malignancies or solid tumors in the hospital between January 2021 and March 2023. Febrile neutropenia episodes were identified based on (1) absolute neutrophil count =1500 mm3, (2) at least a single recorded oral temperature of >38.0 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) sustained over a one-hour period. Febrile neutropenia consequences included ICU admission, length of ICU admission, and mortality. Results: Total 115 cases of febrile neutropenia were identified in the time period from January 2021 to March 2023. Organisms were isolated from 43% of all the cultures taken. The most common organism isolated was Klebsiella pneumoniae (32.81%), followed by Escherichia coli (29.69%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.94%). Other organisms that were also isolated were Candida albicans (3.13%), Aeromonas hydrophilia, Acinetobacter baumannii, Burkholderia cepacia, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hemolyticus, Streptococcus spp, and one case of Ralstonia mannitolytica. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was seen in 33% of isolates and extensive-drug resistance was seen in 19% of isolates. E. coli showed the highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance with 68% growing MDR isolates and 16% growing XDR isolates. ICU stay was required in 34% of patients with a median duration of stay of three days. A mortality rate of 16.52% was seen, with 17.11% in hematological malignancies and 15.38% in solid tumors. Conclusions: This study showed an increasing prevalence of Gram-negative bacterial infection in patients with febrile neutropenia. It also shows a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in microbes in febrile neutropenia. Larger multi-hospital studies are required to better understand the microbiological profile of febrile neutropenia and identify the developing antimicrobial resistance trends.