Changes in Respiratory Microorganism Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns in Intensive Care Units: A Comparative Analysis Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Öz
This study aimed to evaluate changes in the distribution of microorganisms isolated from respiratory tract specimens and antimicrobial resistance patterns in intensive care units (ICUs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Microbiological data from respiratory tract specimens obtained from patients admitted to the ICUs of a state hospital between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. The study period was divided into the pre-pandemic period (January 1, 2019–February 29, 2020) and the pandemic period (March 1, 2020–April 30, 2021). A total of 634 patients and 757 respiratory tract isolates were included. The median age was 79 years (IQR: 66–85), and 55.2% of the patients were male. Acinetobacter spp. was the most frequently isolated microorganism overall, followed by Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall microorganism distribution differed significantly between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (p<0.001). Antimicrobial resistance analyses were performed for the most frequently isolated bacterial pathogens. No significant changes were observed in resistance rates among Pseudomonas spp. isolates. Among Acinetobacter spp. isolates, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance increased significantly during the pandemic period. Among Klebsiella spp. isolates, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance increased significantly. These findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic period was associated with changes in respiratory microorganism distribution and selected antimicrobial resistance patterns in ICUs.
Anahtar Kelimeler
- COVID-19
- intensive care unit
- respiratory tract specimens
- antimicrobial resistance
- Acinetobacter spp.
- Klebsiella spp.
- Pseudomonas spp.
Destekleyen Kurum
Proje Numarası
Etik Beyan
Teşekkür
Kaynakça
- 1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Available from: https://www.who.int/europe/ emergencies/situations/covid-19. Accessed June 1, 2026.
- 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 overview and infection prevention and control priorities in non- U.S. healthcare settings. Available from: https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/hcp/non-us-settings/overview/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2026.
- 3. Langford BJ, So M, Raybardhan S, Leung V, Westwood D, MacFadden DR, et al. Bacterial co-infection and secondary infection in patients with COVID-19: a living rapid review and meta-analysis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020;26(12):1622-1629. doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2020.07.016.
- 4. Torres A, Niederman MS, Chastre J, Ewig S, Fernandez- Vandellos P, Hanberger H, et al. International ERS/ESICM/ESCMID/ALAT guidelines for the management of hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator associated pneumonia. Eur Respir J. 2017;50(3):1700582. doi:10.1183/13993003.00582-2017.
- 5. Zuglian G, Ripamonti D, Tebaldi A, Cuntrò M, Riva I, Farina C, et al. The changing pattern of bacterial and fungal respiratory isolates in patients with and without COVID-19 admitted to intensive care unit. BMC Infect Dis. 2022;22(1):185. doi:10.1186/s12879-022-07176-x.
- 6. Patel A, Emerick M, Cabunoc MK, Williams MH, Preas MA, Schrank G, et al. Rapid spread and control of multidrugresistant Gram-negative bacteria in COVID-19 patient care units. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(4):1234-1237. doi:10.3201/eid2704.204036.
- 7. World Health Organization. Global antimicrobial resistance and use surveillance system (GLASS) report: 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240062702. Accessed June 2, 2026.
- 8. World Health Organization. Antimicrobial resistance. Fact sheet. Available from: https://www.who.int/news room/factsheets/ detail/antimicrobial-resistance. Accessed June 2, 2026.
Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Klinik Tıp Bilimleri (Diğer)
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Gülsüm Kaya
*
0000-0003-2517-5512
Türkiye
Burcu Gürer Giray
0000-0003-3165-8924
Türkiye
Didem Özgür
0000-0002-8320-9453
Türkiye
Sinem Solmaz
0009-0006-9367-4566
Türkiye
Mehtap Oskay
0000-0002-7287-3631
Türkiye
Ece Yilmaz Erbay
0009-0007-8047-7587
Türkiye
Şeyma Trabzon
0000-0001-9030-7804
Türkiye
Hasan Ergenç
0000-0003-0519-0264
Türkiye
Sebahat Aksaray
0000-0002-0552-1337
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
4 Kasım 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
16 Haziran 2026
Kabul Tarihi
27 Eylül 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 52
