Table 1 Definitions of categories for the assessment of mortality related to Verona Integron-encoded Metallo-β-lactamase positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Definitely related

A patient died due to sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock and had a recent (< 10 days) blood culture with VIM-PA, without other pathogens in a blood culture.*

Probably related

A patient died due to sepsis, without a recent positive blood culture (blood cultures were not taken or negative < 10 days of death), but with a nosocomial infection according to CDC definitions¹ AND the strong suspicion of VIM-PA as the pathogen causing sepsis (cultures from sterile sites e.g.; ascites, abscess, bile, empyema are positive with VIM-PA).

OR

A patient died due to sepsis and had a positive blood culture with VIM-PA longer than 10 days before death but within one month of death, without another pathogen isolated in blood cultures.

Possibly related

A patient died due to sepsis and there were cultures with VIM-PA in sterile specimens other than blood cultures within two months prior to death, with no other cultured possible causative pathogens.

OR

A patient died due to respiratory failure with VIM-PA in respiratory specimens.

Not related

The patient did not die due to infection.

AND/OR

The patient was merely colonized with VIM-PA. Colonization was defined as the presence of positive cultures of non-sterile sites with VIM-PA without signs of infection.

Unknown

Insufficient data were available in the medical records.