Urinary tract infections in the early posttransplant period after liver transplantation: etiologic agents and their susceptibility

Abstract

Background: We performed an analysis of etiologic agents for urinary tract infections in the early posttransplant period after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in adult recipients.

Patients and methods: The study covered the first 4 weeks after OLT of 190 patients from September 2001 to the end of 2007. Immunosuppression consisted of steroids and tacrolimus. Antimicrobial prophylaxis was piperacillin/tazobactam, fluconazole, and SBD. Urine samples were cultured to identify microorganisms in accord with standard microbiological procedures and to test susceptibility using Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute guidelines.

Results: Urine specimens (n=539) examined from 185 recipients (97.4%) showed 210 microbial strains. The most common were Gram-negative (n=131; 62.4%) with predominance of Escherichia coli (28.2%), Enterobacter cloacae (19.1%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (11.4%). Extended-spectrum β- lactamases (ESBL(+)) strains were isolated in 38.5% of cases. Gram-positive bacteria comprised 28.6% (n=60): The most common strains were enterococci (85% including HLAR 80.4% and VRE 17.6%] and staphylococci 11.8% [MRSA/MRCNS; 100%]. There were 19 (9%) fungal strains.

Conclusions: In general, the identification in urine samples of multi-drug-resistant bacterial and fungal strains in patients after OLT such as ESBL(+) 38.5%; HLAR 80.4%; VRE 17.6%; and MRSA/MRCNS 100% requires better infection control.