Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infection caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which resulted in the clinical manifestation of pneumonia. A virus mainly causes pneumonia COVID-19, but bacterial co-infection plays a role in increasing mortality. This case series aimed to identify clinical characteristics and antibiotic use in treating COVID-19 patients at Wava Husada Hospital Malang. Data of a total sample of 21 patients selected from March to August 2020 showed moderate to severe infection and was further analyzed descriptively. The mean age of patients was 52±13 years, and 62% were men. Meanwhile, the most common symptoms were shortness of breath and cough with 81% and 76.2%, respectively. Several symptoms found include fever, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, and anorexia at 57.1%, 19%, 33.3%, 14.3%, and 4.8%. The patients had radiological features of pneumonia, where most of them had normal leukocyte and low lymphocyte counts. Additionally, 76.2% or 16 patients received antibiotic monotherapy, and 23.8% or 5 patients received the combination. Levofloxacin is the most commonly administered antibiotics, either single or combined, with a median duration of 11 days. Patients' length of stay ranged from 12 to 24 days; where 71.4% were discharged home, and 28.6% died. Procalcitonin measurement should be attempted as a stewardship strategy for using antibiotics in COVID-19 patients.

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