2022 MeRIT Primer Participants – Completed Research
Sunday, November 12, 2023
12:45 PM–02:15 PM
Abstract
Introduction: Health disparities attributed to race and ethnicity are present in several areas of healthcare, including infectious diseases. Studies have found higher rates of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus infection in black patients, and increased rates of penicillin-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae in Hispanic patients with community acquired pneumonia. There is limited data assessing associations between gram-negative resistance and race, ethnicity, or social determinants of health. One study from the United Kingdom noted an increased rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) resistance in areas with crowded housing.
Research Question or Hypothesis: Is there a correlation between ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and zip codes that exhibit higher poverty rates or a greater presence of racial and ethnic minorities?
Study Design: Geospatial analysis, observational study
Methods: Three health-systems provide health care services for a mid-sized Midwestern city. These health-systems provided de-duplicated lists of first isolates from patients with a positive E.coli, and of patients with ESBL-producing E.coli from 2021-2022, divided by zip code. These lists were combined with zip-code level census data from the 2021 American Community Survey. The census data included median household income, percent of residents below the poverty level, and percent of residents from racial or ethnic minorities. Analysis was performed using R software, and the association between each of the covariates and the ESBL rate was assessed using simple logistic regression models.
Results: The ESBL-producing E. coli rates were similar across zip codes. There was no statistical association seen with rates of poverty, median income, or percent of racial or ethnic minorities.
Conclusion: There was no association seen between ESBL rates and poverty, income, or percent of residents from racial minorities at the zip code level. Since this is a pilot study, there were a limited number of zip codes included in the analysis. Additional data collection is in progress.
Presenting Author
Alice Hemenway PharmD, MPHUniversity of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy
Authors
Moamen Al Zoubi MD
Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital
Mark Biagi PharmD
University of Illinois at Chicago
Timothy Murrey Pharm.D.
OSF St. Anthony Medical Center