The Management of Urinary Tract Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Do We Need to Know?

Tommaso Cai,Gernot Bonkat,Carlo Tascini,Andrea Novelli,Florian Wagenlehner,Umberto Anceschi,Truls E Bjerklund Johansen

doi:10.3390/uro2010008

Abstract

The landscape of management of urinary tract infections (UTI) is changing rapidly. The COVID-19 pandemic draws our attention to the SARS-CoV-2 management with a subsequent reduced attention on bacterial infections. The COVID-19 diffusion containing procedures, such as use of facemasks and handwashing, have reduced spreading of bacteria and bacterial lung infections. However, a brief analysis of UTI management during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that the pandemic has changed our management of UTI in a way that violates the principles of antimicrobial stewardship. We therefore remind all urologists and other physicians who manage patients affected by UTI about the importance of continued adherence to antimicrobial stewardship principles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

Background and AimsAccepted: 10 March 2022Since 2020, SARS-COV-2 infections have had a high impact on national and international healthcare systems and caused more than 5,100,000 deaths worldwide [1,2]
In order to maintain a high adherence to antimicrobial stewardship principles, the management of urinary tract infections (UTI) in the COVID-19 pandemic should be based on the following considerations:
Avoid using antibiotics in COVID-19 patients without any sign and/or symptoms related to bacterial infections

Summary

Introduction

Background and AimsAccepted: 10 March 2022Since 2020, SARS-COV-2 infections have had a high impact on national and international healthcare systems and caused more than 5,100,000 deaths worldwide [1,2]. COVID-19 diffusion containing measures, such as facemasks and handwashing, reduced the spread of all viruses and bacteria, with a subsequent reduction of bacterial-related lung infections [3]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became important to reduce the number of hospitalizations to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For this reason, antimicrobial treatment is prescribed earlier, and broad-spectrum antibiotics has been more frequently used in patients with suspected UTI in order to avoid severe infections and hospitalizations. Bendala Estrada et al demonstrated in a multicenter, retrospective study, that the overall percentage of bacterial co-infection among patients with COVID-19 was low, but the use of antibiotics was high [4].

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