Acinetobacter baumannii in Hematology Practice: Clinical Factors Affecting the Course of Infection

Aim: Hematological malignancies are inherently risk factors for Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infection. In this study, we aimed to reveal the clinical features of A. baumannii infection in patients with hematological malignancies and identify factors affecting the course of the infection. Methods: The data of 49 subjects who were diagnosed and followed-up at the University of Health Sciences Turkey, İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Hematology between October 2014 and July 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Twenty-two (44.9%) subjects were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, 15 (3.6%) subjects with lymphoma, 9 (18.4%) subjects with ALL, and 3 (6.1%) subjects were diagnosed with other hematological malignancies. Thirty-nine (79.6%) patients died during follow-up. Thirty-five (71%) subjects required intensive care unit (ICU) and were transferred to the ICU. Twenty-two (95.7%) of the subjects with neutrophil count <100/ mm³ and seventeen (65.4%) of the subjects with neutrophil count >100/mm³ died (p=0.009). In the univariate analysis, neutrophil count <100/ mm³ had an impact on the occurrence of death in subjects with A. baumannii infection (p=0.026, HR=11.64). The number of patients who died was comparable between those treated with or without colsitin/tigecycline (p=0.253). The number of subjects who died was comparable between those who were treated with or without a carbapenem-type antibiotic (p=0.076). Conclusion: Further studies are needed to identify factors affecting the course of A. baumannii infection in patients with hematological malignancies.