Antibiotic Resistance in Global Pediatric Oncology Centers

Participating clinical microbiology laboratories will flag any Gram-negative bacteria meeting inclusion criteria. Bacteria will be subcultured; one sample will be lysed and shipped to St. Jude; the remaining sample will be stored onsite for the duration of the study. Samples of bacteria from both oncology and non-oncology patients will be included. Whole genome sequencing will be performed on the bacterial samples at St. Jude and the genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance testing (AST) results compared. Genotypic results will additionally be used to describe phylogenetic relationships and potential transmission events both within and between sites. Each participating location will collect limited clinical data corresponding to disease and treatment related factors on the affected patient. This will include sociodemographic variables, oncologic diagnosis, treatment phase, presence of a central venous catheter or other foreign body, antibiotic treatment within the past month, and previous history of colonization or infection by a resistant organism.