Critically ill patients with COVID-19 are at high risk for hospital-acquired infections, especially infections from multidrug-resistant organisms. On the other hand, hospital-acquired infections prolong mechanical ventilation and hospitalization of these patients.
︎Chronic infections, immune suppression associated with COVID-19 and the critical illness, use of immunosuppressants such as steroids, and the frequent need for invasive life support procedures predispose patients with COVID-19 to a high risk of hospital-acquired infections.
︎Infections usually occur relatively early (about 1 week after intubation), and their frequency increases with extended ICU stays. The most common infections are ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Bloodstream infections are also the source of infections in one-quarter of the patients with hospital-acquired infections.
︎The high incidence of infections resulting from multidrug-resistant pathogens was thought to be attributed at least in part to suboptimal adherence to the standard infection control policies because of the heavy patient load during the pandemic. This might be an indicator that adherence to standard infection control policies in the hospitals might help prevent and reduce hospital-acquired infections.
Source: https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(21)00679-6/fulltext
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