Evidence of Significant Ceftriaxone and Quinolone Resistance in Cirrhotics with Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Objectives There are few studies addressing the impact of cephalosporin and quinolone resistance on hospital length of stay and mortality in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). We aim to describe the shifting epidemiology of SBP at our institution and its impact on clinical outcomes. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of all cases of SBP from 2005 to 2015 at a transplant center. Cases were identified using hospital billing data. Patient data were confirmed using the electronic medical record. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify factors that were associated with prolonged hospital length of stay and reduced survival. Culture-positive cases ( N = 56) were compared to culture-negative cases ( N = 104). Subpopulation analysis of the culture-positive cases compared ceftriaxone-resistant ( N = 25) to ceftriaxone-susceptible ( N = 31) cases. Results We identified 160 cases of SBP (56 culture positive and 104 culture negative; 21 nosocomial, 79 hospital associated, and 60 community acquired). Forty-five percent ( N = 25 total, 13 hospital associated and 6 nosocomial) of bacterial isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone, with 37.5% ( N = 21) being gram positive, including 8 methicillin-resistant staphylococcus and 6 vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. Multivariate analysis identified hospital-associated SBP, age, alcoholic cirrhosis, and MELD-Na score as variables associated with worse survival ( P < 0.05), with a trend toward worse survival in culture-positive cases ( P = 0.123). Only MELD-Na was associated with prolonged length of stay. Conclusions The burden of resistant pathogens causing SBP is significant, notably in hospital-associated SBP. Culture-positive SBP may represent a higher risk group compared to culture-negative SBP.