Improving antibiotic stewardship in COVID-19: Bacterial co-infection is less common than with influenza
Jonathan Youngs, Duncan Wyncoll, Philip Hopkins, Amber Arnold, Jonathan Ball, Tihana Bicanic
Abstract
In the recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Lansbury et al. only 7% of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 were reported as having evidence of bacterial co-infection, yet >90% received empirical antibiotics1. This finding, which has been replicated elsewhere2, is hardly surprising given the challenges associated with distinguishing bacterial from viral pneumonia and that bacterial coinfection is likely to worsen an already poor prognosis in these patients3. Whilst the role of biomarkers such as procalcitonin is being explored, a desire to treat what is treatable is understandable but represents a threat to antibiotic stewardship4,5.
Topics & Concepts
Antibiotic StewardshipCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)AntibioticsAntimicrobial stewardshipStewardship (theology)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)MicrobiologyMedicinePandemicVirologyIntensive care medicineBiologyAntibiotic resistanceInternal medicineInfectious disease (medical specialty)OutbreakPolitical sciencePoliticsDiseaseLawAntibiotic Use and ResistanceNosocomial Infections in ICUCOVID-19 Clinical Research Studies