Background: Kidney transplant recipients are a group of patients at risk for healthcare-related infections. The results of this study make an important clinical contribution and contribute to findings options to decrease the infection-related morbidity and mortality that affects this patient population. Objectives: We evaluated the prevalence of colonization by multidrug-resistant bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)–producing bacteria, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in renal transplant patients; we identified the infection rate, morbidity, and mortality in this population. Methods: Prospective cohort study was conducted at the Kidney and Hypertension Hospital from 2012 to 2015. This project was approved by the Unifesp Research Ethics Committee (no. 1630/11) and an informed consent form was obtained from patients included in the study. Study protocol: Data collection was performed in 2 phases: within the first 24 hours after transplantation and 7 days after transplantation. For all included patients, the following data were collected: identification data, clinical data, and laboratory tests of the first day in the study. All included patients (colonized or not) were followed prospectively for 6 months or until treatment change or death. Results: The study included 200 renal transplant patients in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We observed that 76 (38%) patients included in our sample were colonized; 8% S. aureus, 11% Enterococcus, and 19% K. pneumoniae. We verified the presence of concomitant colonization of 1 or more of these pathogens. The most prevalent concomitance identified in our population was E. coli and K. pneumoniae. We identified the presence of diabetes and diabetes associated with hypertension as risk factor for colonization. Thus, patients with more systemic complications may be at risk for colonization by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Another risk factor for colonization was antibiotic use in the 6 months prior to transplantation. Transplant-related outcomes were length of stay after transplantation, delayed graft function (ie, dialysis after the transplantation) and postoperative care in an intensive care unit. At the 6-month follow-up, we identified urinary infection and surgical site infection as risk factors. One death occurred due to stroke in the group of colonized patients, unrelated to infectious causes. Conclusions: These results show fundamental aspects for health professionals for bacterial characterization, transmission, and resistance mechanisms and, mainly, tools for prevention and control of multidrug-resistant bacteria from patients colonized under conservative treatment before the complexity of high-risk procedures begins, such as dialysis and transplantation to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Funding: FAPESP São Paulo Research Support Foundation

Disclosures: None