Pulmonary bacterial superinfections in covid-19 patients hospitalized for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the intensive care unit

The objective of this study is to describe the bacteriological and biochemical profile of bacterial pulmonary superinfections in COVID 19 patients hospitalized in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of the Avicenna military hospital of Marrakech. A descriptive retrospective was study was conducted, including all covid 19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit for respiratory distress syndrome. 338 samples were tested of which 118 came back positive. Of the 118 samples, 82 (69.5%) were BAL and 36 (30.5%) sputum. None of the PDPs, bronchial aspirates, and pleural punctures came back positive. The most frequently found germs are: Acinetobacter baumanii at 28.8%, followed by K. pneumoniae at 18.6%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus (14,4% each). Multi-drug resistant bacteria were found in 62 samples (52%). The most frequent MDR-bacteria were: Acinetobacter baumanii resistant to imipenem (29/118) 24.8%. The CRP (C-reactive protein) achieved in all our patients was high in 100% of cases. Values ​​ranged from 30 to 564 mg/L with an average of 195.13 mg/L.

Meanwhile, Procalcitonin performed in 55 of our patients (72% of cases) was positive in 45 patients (82% of cases). Values ​​ranged from 0.1 to 60 ug/L with an average of 11.19 ug/L.