Treatment of Donor-derived Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection after Renal Transplantation with Tigecycline and Extended-infusion Meropenem

Objective Donor-derived carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)infection has recently emerged as a critical early complication after renal transplantation.Although CRKP is usually sensitive to tigecycline,monotherapy with this drug is often less than effective.We investigated the efficacy of a combined regimen of tigecycline with high-dose,extended-infusion meropenem in the treatment of donor-derived CRKP infection after kidney transplantation.Methods From Jan.2016 to Dec.2017,a total of 12 CRKP isolates were detected from cultures of the organ preservation solution used for soaking the donor kidneys at our institute.Probable or possible donor-derived infection(DDI)was identified in 8 transplant recipients.Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Results Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2(KPC-2)-producing CRKP was reported to be positive in organ preservation solution cultures at 3.5±0.9 days after transplantation,leading to surgical site(n=3),urinary tract(n=4),and/or bloodstream(n=2)infections in 8 recipients.The drug susceptibility tests showed that CRKP was sensitive to tigecycline,but resistant to meropenem.In 7 patients who received tigecycline combined with high-dose extended-infusion meropenem,DDIs were successfully cured.The length of hospital stay was 31(18–129)days,and the serum creatinine at discharge was 105.8±16.7µmol/L.The one remaining patient who received tigecycline combined with intravenous-drip meropenem died of septic shock.A median follow-up of 43 months(33–55)showed no recurrence of new CRKP infection in the 7 surviving recipients.Conclusion It was suggested that a prompt and appropriate combination therapy using tigecycline with high-dose extended-infusion meropenem is effective in treating donor-derived KPC-2-producing CRKP infection after renal transplantation.