A Comparative Study of <em>Acinetobacter</em> Infections in COVID and Non-COVID Patients

Abstract

Background: Acinetobacter species are associated with high mortality, with A. baumannii being associated with a significant number of hospitals acquired infections worldwide. Multidrug resistance makes it challenging to control or treat these infections. Aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors and compare the clinical outcomes of Acinetobacter infections in a tertiary care hospital, in COVID and non COVID patients. Materials and methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. A list of all cases with positive cultures of A. baumannii over a period of one year (January 2020 and December 2020) was retrieved from the microbiology department, using hospital database. The risk factors, antibiotic resistance and clinical outcomes were studied.Results: 94 cases of A. baumannii infections were studied. 89 were caused by Multidrug resistant A. baumannii including carbapenem resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) (92.7%). All were sensitive to Colistin. 28 patients had COVID-19 infection with a mortality rate of 85.7% (p = 0.009). Various risk factors associated with higher mortality were higher age, Intubation (p = 0.004), male sex (p = 0.023), invasive procedures (p = 0.0001) and carbapenem resistance (p = 0.033). Conclusion: COVID-19 infection increased the risk ofAcinetobacter infections. Carbapenem resistance and invasive procedures were associated with higher mortality rates. Judicious use of antibiotics with proper infection control practices and early diagnosis could be pivotal in preventing prevalence of Acinetobacter infections in the current pandemic situation.

Longitudinal study across SARS-CoV-2 variants identifies transcriptionally active microbes (TAMs) associated with Delta severity

“…Several studies had already reported A. baumannii, P. stutzeri, and P. aeruginosa, as major causes of secondary infection in hospital admitted COVID-19 patients. 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 Moreover, the significant disruption of TAMs in Delta was persistent across clinical outcomes of recovery and mortality too. Delta mortality patients had a substantial presence of opportunistic bacterial species belonging to Acinetobacter, Enterococcus, Prevotella, and Streptococcus genera, which was lacking in the Pre-VOC and Omicron.…”

A Retrospective Assessment of Sputum Samples and Antimicrobial Resistance in COVID-19 Patients

“…[49][50][51]. Nevertheless, an increased risk of Acinetobacter baumannii infections in non-critical COVID-19 patients is worrisome, given that the mortality associated with this etiologic agent has been reported to be as high as 85.7% [52].…”