Table 1.
Characteristics and outcome of study patients according to clinical failure or resolution upon first-line CRAB active therapy.
| Clinical Resolution (n = 56) |
Clinical Failure (n = 34) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 62 (52–69) | 71 (64–78) * |
| Male sex | 38 (68) | 16 (47) |
| Surgical admission | 30 (54) | 18 (53) |
| Immunodepression | 12 (21) | 15 (44) * |
| Charlson comorbidity index | 4 (2–6) | 8 (6–8) * |
| Main comorbidities | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 8 (14) | 17 (50) * |
| Cardiovascular disease | 13 (23) | 18 (53) * |
| Chronic respiratory disease | 6 (11) | 15 (44) * |
| Chronic kidney disease | 4 (7) | 6 (18) |
| Chronic liver disease | 2 (4) | 3 (9) |
| Solid cancer | 6 (11) | 5 (15) |
| Active hematologic malignancies | 2 (4) | 5 (15) |
| Solid organ transplantation | 3 (5) | 6 (18) |
| Obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) | 5 (9) | 4 (12) |
| APACHE II score upon ICU admission | 22 (20–25) | 23 (20–25) |
| VAP onset from ICU admission (days) | 8 (6–11) | 9 (7–11) |
| SOFA score at VAP onset | 9 (7–11) | 10 (9–11) * |
| Oxygenation at VAP onset | ||
| PaO2 to FiO2 ratio >200 | 9 (16) | 4 (12) |
| PaO2 to FiO2 ratio >100 and <200 | 41 (73) | 26 (76) |
| PaO2 to FiO2 ratio <100 | 6 (11) | 4 (12) |
| Infection severity at VAP onset | ||
| Uncomplicated infection | 13 (23) | 2 (6) * |
| Sepsis | 19 (34) | 10 (29) |
| Septic shock | 25 (45) | 22 (65) |
| Bacteraemic VAP | 15 (26.8) | 14 (41.2) |
| Augmented renal clearance | 10 (18) | 5 (15) |
| CRRT | 8 (14) | 8 (24) |
| vv-ECMO | 3 (5) | 1 (3) |
| Known respiratory CRAB colonization | 34 (61) | 18 (53) |
| Fast molecular diagnostics at VAP onset | 17 (30.3) | 3 (8.8) * |
| Timely (≤24 h) targeted therapy | 50 (89) | 22 (65) * |
| Cefiderocol-based regimens | 30 (54) | 10 (29) * |
| Cefiderocol–inhaled colistin | 10 (17.8) | 9 (26.5) |
| Cefiderocol–fosfomycin–inhaled colistin | 20 (35.7) | 1 (3) * |
| Colistin-based regimens | 26 (46) | 24 (71) * |
| Colistin–tigecycline–inhaled colistin | 11 (20) | 16 (47) * |
| Colistin–ampicillin/sulbactam–inhaled colistin | 8 (14) | 7 (21) |
| Colistin–meropenem–inhaled colistin | 7 (13) | 1 (3) |
| 14-day mortality | 0 (0) | 14 (41) * |
| 28-day mortality | 12 (21) | 24 (71) * |
| ICU length of stay (days) | 24 (21–28) | 21 (17–25) * |
Data are presented as No. (%) of included patients or as median (interquartile range), unless otherwise indicated. * p < 0.05 vs. clinical resolution group. APACHE: Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation; BMI: Body Max Index; CRAB: carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii; CRRT: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy; SOFA: Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; VAP: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia; vv-ECMO: veno-venous Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation.