Antimicrobial-resistant central line-associated bloodstream infections in adult intensive care units: findings from an Australian surveillance network, 2011-2022.

Objective: We aimed to describe the incidence, pathogens, and antimicrobial susceptibility of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in adult intensive care units (ICU).

Design: State surveillance data from 2011 to 2022 were analyzed to identify patient and device days and CLABSI events. Pathogen data were analyzed to determine the most common organisms and patterns of antimicrobial resistance grouped into 3-year time epochs.

Setting: Adult ICU in Victoria, Australia.

Participants: Healthcare organizations participating in CLABSI state surveillance.

Results: 608 events were reported over 751,350 device days. Overall, CLABSI incidence was 0.81 per 1,000 central-line days, with a 49.3% rate reduction from 2011 to 2022 (1.39 to 0.70 per 1,000 central-line days). Overall device utilization ratio was 0.57, with a 15.4% reduction from 2011 to 2022 (0.67 vs 0.56). Of 690 pathogens, the most common by rank order were coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS), Candida species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. The proportion of CNS-causing events increased by 69.0% from 2011 to 2022; this trend was not observed for other organisms. For every increase in epoch, a 33% decrease in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 4% increase in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and 12% increase in ceftriaxone-resistant Escherichia coli pathogens were observed.

Conclusions: We demonstrate a decreasing incidence of CLABSI in Victorian adult ICU and an increasing burden of infections due to CNS. No significant time trend increases in antimicrobial-resistant organisms, including MRSA, vancomycin-resistant E. faecium, and ceftriaxone-resistant E. coli were observed. These findings are relevant for identifying priorities for CLABSI prevention in Victorian adult ICU.