Prevalence and Outcomes of Infection Among Patients in Intensive Care Units in 2017

Importance Infection is frequent among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Contemporary information about the types of infections, causative pathogens, and outcomes can aid the development of policies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and resource allocation and may assist in the design of interventional studies. Objective To provide information about the prevalence and outcomes of infection and the available resources in ICUs worldwide. Design, Setting, and Participants Observational 24-hour point prevalence study with longitudinal follow-up at 1150 centers in 88 countries. All adult patients (aged >= 18 years) treated at a participating ICU during a 24-hour period commencing at 08:00 on September 13, 2017, were included. The final follow-up date was November 13, 2017. Exposures Infection diagnosis and receipt of antibiotics. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalence of infection and antibiotic exposure (cross-sectional design) and all-cause in-hospital mortality (longitudinal design). Results Among 15x202f;202 included patients (mean age, 61.1 years [SD, 17.3 years]; 9181 were men [60.4%]), infection data were available for 15x202f;165 (99.8%); 8135 (54%) had suspected or proven infection, including 1760 (22%) with ICU-acquired infection. A total of 10x202f;640 patients (70%) received at least 1 antibiotic. The proportion of patients with suspected or proven infection ranged from 43% (141/328) in Australasia to 60% (1892/3150) in Asia and the Middle East. Among the 8135 patients with suspected or proven infection, 5259 (65%) had at least 1 positive microbiological culture; gram-negative microorganisms were identified in 67% of these patients (n = 3540), gram-positive microorganisms in 37% (n = 1946), and fungal microorganisms in 16% (n = 864). The in-hospital mortality rate was 30% (2404/7936) in patients with suspected or proven infection. In a multilevel analysis, ICU-acquired infection was independently associated with higher risk of mortality compared with community-acquired infection (odds ratio [OR], 1.32 [95% CI, 1.10-1.60]; P = .003). Among antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, infection with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (OR, 2.41 [95% CI, 1.43-4.06]; P = .001), Klebsiella resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, including third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems (OR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.02-1.63]; P = .03), or carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species (OR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.08-1.81]; P = .01) was independently associated with a higher risk of death vs infection with another microorganism. Conclusions and Relevance In a worldwide sample of patients admitted to ICUs in September 2017, the prevalence of suspected or proven infection was high, with a substantial risk of in-hospital mortality. This study characterizes the point prevalence and outcomes of infection among adult patients treated at international intensive care units during a 24-hour period. Question What was the prevalence of infection and the hospital mortality rate in intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide in 2017? Findings In a 24-hour point prevalence study conducted at 1150 centers in 88 countries on September 13, 2017, 54% of patients in the ICU had suspected or proven infection; 70% of all patients were receiving at least 1 antibiotic (prophylactic or therapeutic). Hospital mortality was 30% in patients with proven or suspected infection. Meaning Among a worldwide sample of patients in ICUs in 2017, the prevalence of suspected or proven infection was 54%.