Predictors of rectal carriage of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria in general wards: A case-control study.

Rectal carriage of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (CP-GNB-RC) increases the risk of invasive infections and horizontal transmission. This study aimed to identify predictors of CP-GNB-RC in hospitalized patients. A case-control study was conducted in a 300-bed hospital in Santa Fe, Argentina, between 2022 and 2023. Cases and controls were randomly selected and included in a 1:2 ratio. A multivariate binary logistic regression model was built using variables significant in univariate analysis (p<0.05). Among 258 patients, 34.5% yielded at least one CP-GNB. Most isolates were Klebsiella spp. (79.0%) and 56.0% produced KPC. In the multivariate analysis, intensive care admission in the past 6 months (OR 3.61), patient transfer from another hospital (OR 2.89), antibiotic exposure (OR 2.34), and length of hospital stay (OR 1.05) were the only independent predictors of CP-GNB-RC. These findings may inform infection control strategies and antimicrobial stewardship interventions in our region.