A comparative study on nosocomial and community-acquired spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with liver cirrhosis at a university hospital.

BACKGROUND

The serious nature of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis and the need for timely effective empirical antibiotic therapy in the context of the global surge of antimicrobial resistance and changing epidemiology necessitate a periodic review of the local epidemiologic features of the disease.

AIM: The aim of the study is to investigate the differences in bacterial profile and antibiotic resistance between nosocomial and community-acquired SBP in patients with liver cirrhosis to guide empirical antibiotic choices for better outcomes.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 95 ascitic cirrhotic patients diagnosed with SBP. According to the setting in which the infection was acquired, the patients were divided into two groups: nosocomial and community-acquired SBP. The bacterial profile and rates of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype and the extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production among Gram-negative isolates in both groups were compared.

RESULTS

Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated bacteria (60% of all isolates) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.4%). Gram-positive bacteria were only isolated from nosocomial SBP cases; the most common was Staphylococcus aureus (11.4%) followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci (5.7%). High rates of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-line empirical treatment of SBP, were detected (76.6-100% in nosocomial isolates and 25-87% in community isolates). Carbapenems, amikacin and gentamycin showed good activity against Gram-negative bacilli in both nosocomial and community-acquired isolates. MDR bacteria, including ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, were significantly associated with nosocomial SBP.

CONCLUSION

The significant increase in MDR phenotype and ESBL production among nosocomial isolates necessitates a change in the initial empirical therapy for nosocomial SBP and carbapenems seem good alternatives.