Impacto da pandemia da Covid-19 no perfil de resistência bacteriana em um hospital da cidade do Natal-RN

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 brought an uncertain epidemiological and health scenario, resulting in an increase in the empirical use of antimicrobials as a prevention of possible bacterial infections acquired secondary to viral infection in patients hospitalized in ICUs. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the bacterial resistance profile in a private hospital located in the city of Natal-RN. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of a retrospective nature, in which the resistance profile of bacterial isolates from hospitalized patients was evaluated over a period of three years, covering pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. The analysis of the notification sheets from the Hospital Infection Control Service (SCIH) revealed 4.238 (84,9%) positive cultures for bacteria in the period evaluated. Bacterial isolates were equally distributed between female and male patients, with a higher prevalence in blood cultures (31,6%) and urine cultures (30%) and from ICUs (41,9%). Patients with COVID-19 had a 12.1% bacterial coinfection. The most prevalent bacteria were Staphylococcus spp. (27,6%), Klebsiella spp. (25,6%), Pseudomonas spp. (22.4%) and Escherichia coli (11.6%). Multi-resistance was observed in 63,9% of the bacteria with the following prevalence: Acinetobacter spp. (86.8%), Pseudomonas spp. (69.1%), Staphylococcus spp. (81.8%) and Klebsiella spp. (58,3%). There was a statistically significant association (p<0.001) of bacterial multidrug resistance with the pandemic period (2020-2021) when compared to the pre-pandemic (2019) period as well as with patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (p=0.001). It is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic increased the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the hospital studied.