Prevalence of and risk factors for intestinal colonisation by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in patients with haematological malignancies: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Patients with haematological malignancies (HM patients) are at high risk of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB). MDR-GNB intestinal colonisation is associated with MDR-GNB infections. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis on HM patients was to pool the prevalence of and risk factors for intestinal colonisation by MDR-GNB, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales, reported in previous studies. This study was conducted according to the protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022374425). PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 25 October 2022. Observational studies reporting CRE and/or ESBL intestinal colonisation in HM patients were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted by study region. A total of 21 402 HM patients from 32 studies were analysed. The pooled CRE and ESBL colonisation rates were 21.7% [95% confidence interval (95%CI) 18.7–24.8] and 19.2% (95%CI 13.9–24.5), respectively. Prior exposure to tigecycline [odds ratio (OR) 3.99, 95%CI 2.08–7.68], carbapenem (OR 1.84, 95%CI 1.13-2.97) or penicillin (OR 1.72, 95%CI 1.05–2.83), as well as chemotherapy (OR 2.45, 95%CI 1.05–5.73), neutropenia (OR 1.88, 95%CI 1.08–3.26) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML; OR 1.86, 95%CI 1.33–2.61), were risk factors for CRE colonisation in HM patients. Prior antibiotic exposure was a risk factor for ESBL colonisation in HM patients (OR 4.90, 95%CI 2.76–8.70). This study shows the high prevalence of MDR-GNB (CRE and ESBL) colonisation in HM patients and explains associated factors for the colonisation. The results provide evidence for MDR-GNB infection control in HM management.