Demographics and prognosis of patients with pyogenic liver abscess due to Klebsiella pneumonia or other species

Background Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a potentially life-threatening intra-abdominal infection. We compared the clinical features, treatments, and prognoses of patients who had Klebsiella pneumonia pyogenic liver abscess (KPPLA) and non-Klebsiella pneumonia pyogenic liver abscess (non-KPPLA). Methods A retrospective analysis was used to compare the medical records of KPPLA and non-KPPLA patients with positive pus cultures at a single hospital in China from January 2017 to December 2019. Results We examined 279 patients with definitively established PLA, 207 (74.2%) with KPPLA, and 72 with non-KPPLA. The non-KPPLA group had a higher Charlson comorbidity index, longer hospital stay, longer duration of fever, and greater hospital costs. Multivariate analysis showed that alcohol intake (OR: 2.44, P = 0.048), cancer (OR: 4.80, P = 0.001), ICU admission (OR: 10.61, P = 0.026), resolution of fever OR: 1.04, P = 0.020), and a positive blood culture (OR: 2.87, P = 0.029) were independent predictors of primary treatment failure. Percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA) and pigtail catheter drainage (PCD) provided satisfactory outcomes, but PNA led to shorter hospital stays and reduced costs, especially in KPPLA patients whose abscesses were smaller than 10 cm. Conclusion KPPLA and non-KPPLA patients had some differences in comorbidities and treatment strategies, and non-KPPLA patients had a significantly worse prognosis.