Risk factors for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization of asymptomatic carriers on admission to an Italian rehabilitation hospital.

The spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has become a worldwide problem. Early identification and isolation of asymptomatic carriers are important for infection prevention and control measures. All inpatients (N=1427) admitted to ‘Fondazione Santa Lucia’ Rehabilitation Hospital in 2014 were screened by rectal swab; 10.2% of them were CPE-colonized. The multivariate analysis on anamnestic data showed that both previous admission to an intensive care unit (odds ratio: 4.04; 95% confidence interval: 2.20–7.44; P<0.001) or post-acute care hospitals (2.88; 1.74–4.77; P<0.001) and presence of a central venous catheter (2.19; 1.34–3.59; P<0.001) were significant risk factors.