Impact of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes on Infection Rates and Antibiotic Resistance in Intensive Care Units: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Natural disasters such as earthquakes disrupt healthcare systems, increasing patient burden, infection risk, and antimicrobial resistance. This retrospective study evaluated microbiological profiles, infection rates, and antibiotic resistance among patients admitted to an internal medicine ICU before (January–December 2022) and after (February–July 2023) the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. The unequal observation periods (12 vs. 6 months) should be considered when interpreting these findings. Adults (≥ 18 years) with ICU stay ≥ 48 hours and available culture data were included (n = 127). Gram-positive infections, particularly coagulase-negative staphylococci, increased significantly post-earthquake. Klebsiella pneumoniae showed markedly increased carbapenem resistance. Nosocomial infections (VAP, CRBSI) rose, and mortality increased from 14.5% to 18.2%. However, a direct causal relationship cannot be established due to the retrospective design and limited sample size. These findings underscore the need for disaster-resilient infection control and antimicrobial stewardship strategies.