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Resistant E. coli common in long-term care facilities
Investigators are calling for more research into how to quell the spread of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli based on results of a study of three long-term care facilities that revealed how frequently patients were colonized.
Ebbing Lautenbach, MD, MPH, MSCE, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and colleagues reported results on 57 patients with a fluoroquinolone-resistant strain of E. coli who were identified prospectively from 2006 to 2008.
The researchers reported some common aspects of those who became colonized; notably, that fecal incontinence was common and that the median time to colonization was about 3 months. “Receipt of amoxicillin-clavulanate (HR=6.48; 95% CI, 1.43-29.4) and the presence of a urinary catheter (HR=3.81; 95% CI, 1.06-13.8) during [long-term care facility] stay increased the risk of new [fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli] colonization,” the researchers said.
Ebbing Lautenbach
Lautenbach and colleagues noted some study limitations; specifically, selection bias and that the study was conducted in three hospitals in the same health care system, which may limit generalizability.
“[Fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli] are becoming more and more common in the [long-term care facility] setting. Identifying those factors that predict [fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli] colonization is important in helping us develop strategies to stop the emergence of these organisms,” Lautenbach told Infectious Disease News.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.