Bloodstream Infections in a COVID-19 Non-ICU Department: Microbial Epidemiology, Resistance Profiles and Comparative Analysis of Risk Factors and Patients' Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by highly resistant pathogens in non-ICU COVID-19 departments pose important challenges. METHODS: We performed a comparative analysis of incidence and microbial epidemiology of BSI in COVID-19 vs. non-COVID-19, non-ICU departments between 1 September 2020-31 October 2021. Risk factors for BSI and its impact on outcome were evaluated by a case-control study which included COVID-19 patients with/without BSI. RESULTS: Forty out of 1985 COVID-19 patients developed BSI. The mean monthly incidence/100 admissions was 2.015 in COVID-19 and 1.742 in non-COVID-19 departments. Enterococcus and Candida isolates predominated in the COVID-19 group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.018, respectively). All Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were carbapenem-resistant (CR). In the COVID-19 group, 33.3% of Klebsiella pneumoniae was CR, 50% of Escherichia coli produced ESBL and 19% of Enterococcus spp. were VRE vs. 74.5%, 26.1% and 8.8% in the non-COVID-19 group, respectively. BSI was associated with prior hospitalization (p = 0.003), >2 comorbidities (p < 0.001), central venous catheter (p = 0.015), severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and lack of COVID-19 vaccination (p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression model also including age and multiple comorbidities, only BSI was significantly associated with adverse in-hospital outcome [OR (CI95%): 21.47 (3.86-119.21), p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: BSI complicates unvaccinated patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and increases mortality. BSI pathogens and resistance profiles differ among COVID-19/non-COVID-19 departments, suggesting various routes of pathogen acquisition.

A Case of Bordetella bronchiseptica Bacteremia in a Patient With COVID-19: Brief Report.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a gram-negative coccobacillus that colonizes the respiratory system of mammals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and others and might cause upper respiratory tract infections. Although it can be rarely pathogenic in humans, there are several case reports describing infections in humans. We describe the case of a patient without prolonged immunosuppression or underlying diseases, with bacteremia from Bordetella bronchiseptica, while being treated in a tertiary hospital for COVID-19 infection.