Immunossupressed patients admitted into intensive care with infection: risk factors for infection by multidrug resistant pathogens and hospital mortality

Methods Retrospective cohort study of all patients under IST (corticosteroids, chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive drugs) admitted with infection at a 11-bed mixed ICU, in a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital, between January 2011 and December 2014. Patients who started IS in the same episode were excluded. MDR pathogen was defined as a pathogen resistant to at least three antibiotics from different groups recommended for its treatment. Heavy IST was defined as prednisolone> 20 mg/day and/or multiple IS and/or chemotherapy. The association of several variables with infection by MDR pathogen and with hospital mortality was studied through logistic regression.