P211 Fungal and bacterial co-infections of the respiratory tract among patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in intensive care units

Abstract

Poster session 2, September 22, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM BackgroundsThe pandemic of COVID-19 has created a global public health crisis. ICU patients with COVID-19 are prone to infections of bacterial and/or fungal origins due to several risk factors. Consequently, the current study was conducted to evaluate the frequency, demographic characteristics, underlying conditions, and etiologic agents of fungal and bacterial co-infections of the respiratory tract among ICU patients with COVID-19 in Iran.Materials and MethodsFrom May to October 2020, sputa and endotracheal aspirates were collected from ICU patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who also were suspected of bacterial and/or fungal co-infections according to inclusion criteria. The etiologic agents of bacterial co-infections were identified using the VITEK 2 identification method. For fungal identification, all samples were analyzed by direct microscopy using KOH 10% and culture. Furthermore, all isolates were subjected to the sequencing method.ResultsA total of 73 lung specimens were obtained from patients who met the inclusion criteria. Of these, in 15 cases (20.54%) fungal and/or bacterial co-infections were confirmed. Males were more infected (73.33%) and all of them were between 49 and 79 years. Candida albicans (n = 8, 61.53%) and Klebsiella pneumonia (n = 5, 38.46%) were the most frequent etiologic agents related to fungal and bacterial co-infections, respectively. Pneumonia (n = 15, 100%) and diabetes mellitus (n = 8, 53.33%) were documented as the most prevalent underlying conditions. In the current study, 3 out of 15 patients (20%) died.ConclusionThe frequency of bacterial co-infections of the respiratory tract in ICU patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was relatively high. According to the results, one of the causes of death in these patients could be a secondary infection.