A Clinical Case of Nosocomial Pneumonia as a Complication of COVID-19: How to Balance Benefits and Risks of Immunosuppressive Therapy?

We report a Russian case of a 61-year-old male patient with confirmed COVID-19 infection who developed nosocomial pneumonia complicated by lung abscess associated with multi-drug-resistant isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, which could have been provoked due to the immunosuppressive therapy. We discuss the existing literature highlighting the issue of the prudent balance between benefits and risks when prescribing immunomodulators to hospitalized patients with COVID-19 due to the risk of difficult-to-treat nosocomial infections caused by MDR Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Currently, there is evidence of a substantial positive effect of dexamethasone on the course of COVID-19 in patients requiring supplemental oxygen or anti-interleukin-6 drugs in individuals with prominent systemic inflammation. However, it seems that in real clinical practice, the proposed criteria for initiating treatment with immunomodulators are interpreted arbitrarily, and the doses of dexamethasone can significantly exceed those recommended.

Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial therapy modification during COVID19 pandemic in large tertiary hospital

Objective. assessment of the evolution of the microbiological landscape of the hospital for the period of operation in 2020 into a pandemic of a new coronavirus infection in various departments, including intensive care units; change depending on the results of antibacterial therapy regimens. Materials and Methods. In a retrospective study, conducted from June to December 2020, in a multidisciplinary hospital working with COVID-19 infection, the resistance of isolated strains of microorganisms was analyzed in patients of different age groups. Resistance was assessed with test points in June and November 2020; depending on this, proposals were made to correct the internal (local) protocols of antimicrobial therapy. Results. The need for frequent and regular microbiological monitoring was confirmed. Further, we understood that the territories of the main and temporary hospital of the City Clinical Hospital No. 40 are heterogeneous and there are obvious differences both in structure and in the level of sensitivity. “In practice, these are two different hospitals”. Within the territories, the branches also differ from each other. When analyzing resistance in ICUs, it was revealed that within each hospital in each department, albeit similar in structure and profile of patients, there is a different level of resistance of strains. Conclusions. The structure of sensitivity generally corresponds to the world data, but for some pathogens it differs significantly. Microbiological monitoring should be carried out not only inside the hospital, but also inside the department. The increase in consumption of carbapenems and protected cephalosporins requires a reassessment of the practice of using AMP in any covid hospital, due to the impact on the epidemic situation both in the ICUs and in the hospital.

[The problem of global development of antibiotic resistant nosocomial pathogens]

The problem of global expansion of multidrug-resistant nosocomial infections pathogens is under special attention at the moment. Antibiotic resistance increasing give us the limited treatment options. This problem is particularly acute for transplant clinics, because of patients need lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. From the one hand this ensures stable allograft functioning, but from the other increases the risk of severe infectious complications in the postoperative period. The purpose of this article is analysis carbapenem resistance dynamics of Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus spp. isolated from the blood of recipients of donor organs from 2009 to 2019 in the Shumakov National Medical Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs. A significant annual decrease of carbapenem-sensitive strains of Klebsiella spp. and Acinetobacter spp. are shown. The study of a distinctive pathogen resistance profile specific to each institution can help one in selecting an adequate antimicrobial strategy and is an effective predictive tool for controlling the growth of multidrug-resistant microorganisms.