Prevalence and risk factors for carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among patients prior to bowel surgery

Prophylactic antibiotics are an important measure in preventing perioperative infection, Failure to cover multidrug-resistant pathogens may place carriers at increased risk of infection. We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study in patients prior to bowel surgery to measure the carriage prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and identify risk factors for carriage in this population. During an 11-month period, 150 patients were eligible for inclusion. 27 patients (18%) were found to be carriers of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Factors independently associated with carriage were immunosuppressive therapy (OR, 4.09; 95% CI 1.55-10.81; P = 0.005) and receipt of antibiotics in the prior 3 months (OR, 2.59; 95% CI 1.08-6.24; P = 0.033). Detection of a population at risk for carriage may help in devising and modifying appropriate antibiotic regimens for surgical prophylaxis in carriers of multidrug-resistant bacteria.