Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are emerging cause of significant morbidity and mortality in severe Corona virus disease (Covid-19). We aimed to assess the prevalence, clinical profile and outcome of BSIs in critically ill Covid-19 disease. Material: and Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Western India. All the patients (age >18 years) with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed Covid-19 pneumonia admitted in Covid intensive care unit (ICU) between September 2020 to February 2021 were included. Hospital electronic records were searched for demographic data, time of bloodstream infection since admission, clinical profile, antimicrobial resistance pattern and clinical outcome of all patients who developed BSIs. Results: : Out of 750 patients admitted in Covid ICU, 8.5% developed secondary BSIs. All severe Covid-19 pneumonia patients developed BSIs succumbed to illness. The major proportion of BSIs were gram-negative pathogens (53/64, 82.8%). Acinetobacter baumannii was the commonest isolate followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (32.8% and 21.9% respectively). Multidrug-resistance microorganisms (MDRO) were found in 57.8% of the cases. The majority of MDRO belonged to K. pneumoniae and Enterococcus groups. The proportion of gram-negative bacteria resistant to carbapenems was 47.2% (25/53). Conclusion: BSIs in severe Covid-19 patients carries a substantial mortality, which is a cause for concern. Timely initiation of empirical antibiotics and prompt de-escalation are vital to improve the outcome. At the same time, strict compliance of infection control practices should be accomplished to reduce the occurrence of MDRO.
Clinical Profile of Bloodstream Infections in Covid-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study