Antimicrobial consumption in pediatric intensive care units during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionThe absence of standardized treatment for critical children admitted in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with COVID could lead to an increase in antimicrobial consumption, as indirect effect.AimTo describe trends of antimicrobial consumption in two PICUs before and during the COVID pandemic year.MethodsWe did a retrospective study in children admitted in two PICUs of Rio de Janeiro city, between March 2019 and March 2021. The first year represented the pre-pandemic period and the last one the pandemic period. Trends of antimicrobial consumption were measured by days of therapy (DOT/1000 patient-days) and analyzed by linear regression for antibiotics, antivirals and antifungalsResultsNumber of patients-days in the PICU 1 was 3495 in the pre-pandemic period and 3600 in the pandemic period. The overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 15,308.1, 942.8 and 1,691.1, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 13,481.5, 1,335.4 and 1,243.7, respectively in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic and antifungals and increase in antivirals consumption. Number of patients-days in the PICU 2 was 5029 in the pre-pandemic period and 4557 in the pandemic period and the overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 16,668.5, 1,385 and 1,966.7, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 10,896.5, 830.7 and 677.3 in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic, antivirals and antifungals consumption.ConclusionTrends of antimicrobial consumption reduction were verified for antibiotics and antifungals in two PICUs and reduction for antiviral in one of them