Ventilator-associated pneumonia in Polish Intensive Care Unit dedicated to COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) are the most often related to patients treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might have been the reason for hospitalization in the ICU for some patients. Methods The study was performed in 2020 and 2021 in the hospital in the south of Poland. Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance Network (HAI-Net) of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was applied for diagnosis of HAI. The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiology of HAI occurring in patients treated in the ICU with a division into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. RESULTS The study covered 416 patients hospitalised in the ICU: 125 (30%) of patients treated with COVID-19 vs 291 (70%) of non -COVID 19 patients, p < 0.05. The death rate was: 80 (64%) of patients treated with COVID-19 vs 45 (16%) of non -COVID 19 patients, p < 0.001. Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) concerned 40 cases, the incidence rate density was 6.3/1000 patientdays (pds): 14.1/1000 pds z COVID-19 vs 3.6/1000 non-COVID-19, Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.297, p < 0.01. Acinetobacter baumannii was the most often isolated microorganism in VAP; 25 (incidence rate 8.5%): 16(18.2%) with COVID-19 vs 9 (4.4%) non-COVID-19, OR = 4.814 (1.084–4.806), p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS In patients treated in the ICU due to COVID-19, the risk of VAP was twofold higher than in non-COVID-19 patients. In VAP infections the most often isolated was Acinetobacter baumannii.