American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
-
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2021
Multicenter StudyEarly Bacterial Identification Among Intubated Patients with COVID-19 or Influenza Pneumonia: A European Multicenter Comparative Cohort Study.
Rationale: Early empirical antimicrobial treatment is frequently prescribed to critically ill patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of early bacterial identification in intubated patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, as compared with influenza pneumonia, and to characterize its microbiology and impact on outcomes. Methods: A multicenter retrospective European cohort was performed in 36 ICUs. ⋯ However, no significant difference was found in the heterogeneity of outcomes related to bacterial identification between the two study groups, suggesting that the impact of coinfection on mortality was not different between patients with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Conclusions: Bacterial identification within 48 hours after intubation is significantly less frequent in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia than patients with influenza pneumonia. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04359693).