P-1591. The Rate of Bacterial/Fungal Co-infections and Secondary Infections in Hospitalized COVID-19-infected patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

TL;DR

This study examines how often hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Oman also had bacterial or fungal infections, finding that most were bacterial and had high mortality.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the prevalence and types of co-infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Oman.

Findings

24.7% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had co-infections or secondary infections.

Bacterial infections (92%) were more common than fungal infections (8%).

Hospital-acquired infections accounted for 22.8% of cases with a 60% mortality rate.

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the rate of co-infections and secondary infections among adult patients infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, to describe the clinical characteristics and the risk factors for patients with/without co-infections and secondary infections and to understand the pathogens associated with these infections.

This study was a single-center, retrospective observational study. We included all laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-infected adult patients admitted at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital from March 2020 to December 2022. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological

data were collected retrospectively from the hospital information system (Track-care and lab-track)

.

A total of 373 adult patients with COVID-19 infection were included. One hundred thirteen episodes of infections were found in 92 patients with a total prevalence of 24.7 (95% CI: 20.37‒29.36). Community-acquired infections were 2.1%, whereas hospital-acquired infections accounted for 22.8%. The majority of patients had at least one comorbidity, visited the intensive care unit, and received

steroids as part of treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia. Overall, 92% were bacterial infections and 8% fungal. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella spp were the most common organisms isolated for healthcare-associated infections. The fungal infections identified were hospital-acquired, and candidemia was the most common infection caused by different species. The overall mortality rate was 60% in hospitalized patients with superinfections.

To better understand the rate of co-infections, diagnostic algorithms are needed for early detection and management. Further studies are suggested to understand the contributing factors to co-infections and superinfections in the Omani population.

All Authors: No reported disclosures

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