Bacterial and Fungal Infections Among COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care Unit

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 216 - 222, 15.01.2025

Deniz Gezer , Sencer Yurtsever , Seda Tezcan Ülger

https://doi.org/10.37990/medr.1527943

Abstract

Aim: Secondary infections caused by bacteria or fungi are dangerous because they increase death rates, particularly in patients with COVID-19 who are receiving intensive care. In this study, hospital-associated secondary infections resulting from bacteria and fungi amid COVID-19 patients treated in intensive care units, as well as their distribution according to microbial agents, were investigated.
Material and Method: The study comprised 134 COVID-19 patients who were being treated in the Mersin City Hospital of the Ministry of Health intensive care unit between January 1, 2021, and April 30, 2021. The patients’ demographics and clinical records, as well as bacterial and fungal infections in the blood, urine and deep tracheal aspirate samples, were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: The rate of secondary infection was found to be quite high in patients hospitalized in intensive care units for over 72 hours (91.4%). The majority of secondary infections were detected in blood samples (n=103, 15%). Secondary infection was detected in 61 (8.9%) deep tracheal aspirate specimens and 59 (8.5%) urine samples. The most common secondary infectious agents were Candida spp. (22.3%), Acinetobacter baumannii (16.8%). In addition, it was determined that ≥60 years and ≥3 days of mechanical ventilation independently increased the probability of developing secondary infection.
Conclusion: Our findings are emphasized that the concern of secondary infection due to Candida spp., Acinetobacter baumanii and Stahylococcus epidermidis agents. Evaluation of bacterial superinfections during the later waves of the pandemic may be critical, especially given the changes in the management of these patients, such as the routine use of corticosteroids and the raise of the different variants of the SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords

Corticosteroids, COVID-19, intensive care unit, secondary infection

Ethical Statement

The Scientific Research Platform of the General Directorate of Health Services of the Turkish Ministry of Health granted authorization for this research. This research was conducted with the permission of the Mersin University Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: 2021/480 and Date: 07/14/2021).

Supporting Institution

none

Project Number

none

Thanks

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