ESKAPE Pathogens: Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns, Risk Factors, and Outcomes a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study of Hospitalized Patients in Palestine

Background: Antimicrobial resistance to ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp). remains a major challenge in hospital settings.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the ESKAPE antimicrobial resistance patterns and associated factors with multi-drug resistance strains among hospitalized patients in a single tertiary care medical hospital in Palestine.

Methods: A single-center retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted by reviewing patients' electronic medical records and laboratory results from November 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022, at the Palestine Medical Complex in Palestine. The study included patients aged > 18 years who had been infected with ESKAPE pathogens 48 hours after hospital admission.

Results: This study included 231 patients, of whom 90.5% had MDR infections. In total, 331 clinical samples of ESKAPE pathogens were identified. A. baumannii was the most prevalent MDR pathogen (95.6%) with Carbapenem-resistant exceeding 95%, followed by K. pneumoniae (83.8%) with extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance exceeding 90%, S. aureus (68.2) with 85% oxacillin-resistance, E. faecium (40%) with 20% vancomycin resistance, P. aeruginosa (22.6%) with 30% carbapenem resistance. Furthermore, emergent colistin resistance has been observed in A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, and P. aerogenesis. Risk factors for MDR infection included age (p< 0.035), department (p< 0.001), and invasive procedures such as IUC (p< 0.001), CVC (p< 0.000), and MV (p< 0.008). Patients diagnosed with MDR bacteria had increased 30-day mortality (p< 0.001).

Conclusion: The findings of this study show alarming MDR among hospitalized patients infected with ESKAPE pathogens, with resistance to first-line antimicrobial agents and emerging resistance to colistin, minimizing treatment options. Healthcare providers and the Ministry of Health must take steps, adopt policies to prevent antimicrobial resistance, adhere to infection control guidelines, implement antimicrobial stewardship programs to prevent and limit the growing health crisis, and support research to discover new treatment options.