Impacto clínico del desescalamiento a ertapenem en pacientes críticos con infecciones por Enterobacteriaceae

Background: Ertapenem has proven to be effective for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases-producing Enterobacteriaceae but lacks activity against non-fermenters; de-escalation to this antibiotic may reduce the selection of resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and improve clinical outcomes. Aim: To evaluate the clinical impact of de-escalation from broad-spectrum anti-pseudomonal agents to ertapenem, a non-pseudomonal antibiotics for Enterobacteriaceae infections in critically-ill patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in adult patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) who had Enterobacteriaceae infections and were deescalated from empiric anti-pseudomonal coverage to non-pseudomonal antibiotics. Cox proportional hazards models were performed comparing all-cause mortality and length of hospital stay between patients who remained on anti-pseudomonal coverage versus those who were de-escalated to ertapenem. Results: 105 patients in the anti-pseudomonal group were compared to 148 patients in the ertapenem de-escalation group. De-escalation was associated with lower all-cause mortality compared to patients who remained on anti-pseudomonal coverage (adjusted Hazard Ratio 0.24; 95% CI: 0.12-0.46). The length of ICU stay was similar between the groups. Discussion: ICU patients with Enterobacteriaceae infections de-escalated to ertapenem therapy had better outcomes compared to patients who remained on broad-spectrum, anti-pseudomonal therapy, suggesting that de-escalation is a safe approach amongst ICU patients.