Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant restructuring of care and reform of infection prevention protocols. In addition, antibiotic therapy was frequently administered to severe COVID-19 inpatients. The effect of these care disruptions is not yet elucidated in the Brussels Capital Region.
Purpose: the present work explores the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the bacterial ecology in intensive care units (ICUs) in Brussels.
Results: During the first COVID-19 wave at UZ Brussel, 39 patients required mechanical ventilation, and 54% were diagnosed with bacterial VAP, which was associated with the length of ICU stay. Additionally, all GNB non-susceptibility patterns significantly increased when comparing pre-pandemic (2018-2019) to pandemic years (2020-2021) in the ICUs of the three tertiary centers. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most isolated species, and the most involved in the appearance of resistance. Finally, a five-year outbreak at UZ Brussel’s ICU was attributed
to only two VIM-PA clones linked to sink drains, with minimal mutations over the years.
Conclusion: Major disruptions in bacterial ecology occurred within the ICUs in Brussels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We retrospectively investigated bacterial ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates and their discriminants in ICU patients admitted for COVID-19 during the first wave, between 1st March 2020 to 31st May 2020, at UZ Brussel. We also examined trends in antibiotic resistance patterns within gram negative bacteria (GNB) isolated from respiratory samples in ICUs of three tertiary centers in Brussels from 2010 to 2021, focusing on the pandemic’s impact. Additionally, we reported an outbreak of Verona integron-encoded-metallo-β- lactamaseproducing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM-PA) in the four ICUs of UZ Brussel during the pandemic.
Purpose: the present work explores the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the bacterial ecology in intensive care units (ICUs) in Brussels.
Results: During the first COVID-19 wave at UZ Brussel, 39 patients required mechanical ventilation, and 54% were diagnosed with bacterial VAP, which was associated with the length of ICU stay. Additionally, all GNB non-susceptibility patterns significantly increased when comparing pre-pandemic (2018-2019) to pandemic years (2020-2021) in the ICUs of the three tertiary centers. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most isolated species, and the most involved in the appearance of resistance. Finally, a five-year outbreak at UZ Brussel’s ICU was attributed
to only two VIM-PA clones linked to sink drains, with minimal mutations over the years.
Conclusion: Major disruptions in bacterial ecology occurred within the ICUs in Brussels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We retrospectively investigated bacterial ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates and their discriminants in ICU patients admitted for COVID-19 during the first wave, between 1st March 2020 to 31st May 2020, at UZ Brussel. We also examined trends in antibiotic resistance patterns within gram negative bacteria (GNB) isolated from respiratory samples in ICUs of three tertiary centers in Brussels from 2010 to 2021, focusing on the pandemic’s impact. Additionally, we reported an outbreak of Verona integron-encoded-metallo-β- lactamaseproducing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (VIM-PA) in the four ICUs of UZ Brussel during the pandemic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Supervisors/Advisors |
|
| Award date | 2 Dec 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |