Bacterial superinfection in adults with COVID-19 hospitalized in two clinics in Medellín-Colombia, 2020

Abstract

COVID-19 represents high morbidity and mortality, its complications and lethality have increased due to bacterial superinfections. We aimed to determine the prevalence of bacterial superinfection in adults with COVID-19, hospitalized in two clinics in Medellín-Colombia during 2020, and its distribution according to sociodemographic and clinical conditions. A cross sectional study was made with 399 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by RT-PCR. We determined the prevalence of bacterial superinfection and its factors associated with crude and adjusted prevalence ratios by a generalized linear model. The prevalence of superinfection was 49.6%, with 16 agents identified, the most frequent were Klebsiella (pneumoniae and oxytoca) and Staphylococcus aureus. In the multivariate adjustment, the variables with the strongest association with bacterial superinfection were lung disease, encephalopathy, mechanical ventilation, hospital stay, and steroid treatment. A high prevalence of bacterial superinfections, a high number of agents, and multiple associated factors were found. Among these stood out comorbidities, complications, days of hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, and steroid treatment. These results are vital to identifying priority clinical groups, improving the care of simultaneous infections with COVID-19 in people with the risk factors exposed in the population studied, and identifying bacteria of public health interest.