Antibiotic Resistance Pattern of Pathogens Isolated from Pediatric Patients during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Publication date: Oct 13, 2024

Background/Objectives: The present study aims to highlight the possible significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the resistance of pathogens involved in cases of pediatric infections. Methods: This study included children hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Surgery and Pediatrics from a tertiary teaching hospital, during and after the COVID-19 period (2020-2023). Results: The research included 845 samples collected during 2020-2023, from 685 pediatric patients. A total of 937 bacterial isolates were obtained, of which 509 isolates (54. 32%) were Gram-negative bacteria. Around 30% of all the pathogens were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with a statistically significant increase post-pandemic, in the case of the MDR Escherichia coli strains (p < 0. 05). A very high percentage of MDR Acinetobacter spp. isolates was found, with an important, but not statistically significant, increase in the post-pandemic period. The highest percentage of the MDR Gram-positive pathogens was registered in the case of S. aureus strains (31. 80%). Over 20% of the Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) strains isolated between 2020 and 2023 were MDR, with an important increase in the post-COVID-19 period. The proportion of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens significantly decreased in the post-COVID-19 period compared with the COVID-19 period (p < 0. 05), especially in the case of the Klebsiella spp. strains. Conclusions: Our findings revealed the increase in the post-COVID-19 period of the prevalence of MDR strains of Acinetobacter spp. , CoNS, and Escherichia coli isolated in pediatric patient samples and a significant decline in the trend of the carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, which may be due to the testing rate and to the specific pathology of the pediatric patients hospitalized in the two periods.

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Concepts Keywords
Antibiotics antimicrobial resistance
High children
Klebsiella COVID-19
Pandemic pandemic
pathogens

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease IDO antibiotic resistance
disease MESH COVID-19 Pandemic
disease MESH infections
disease IDO bacteria
disease MESH Metabolic Diseases
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease IDO infection
disease MESH death
disease MESH healthcare associated infections
disease MESH etiology
disease MESH bloodstream infections
disease MESH mania
drug DRUGBANK Meticillin
disease MESH community acquired infections
disease IDO country
disease MESH tuberculosis
pathway KEGG Tuberculosis
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
disease MESH pus
disease MESH Emergency
disease IDO blood
disease IDO pathogen
drug DRUGBANK Clarithromycin
drug DRUGBANK Clindamycin
drug DRUGBANK Oxacillin
pathway KEGG Vancomycin resistance
drug DRUGBANK Linezolid
drug DRUGBANK Ciprofloxacin
drug DRUGBANK Doxycycline
drug DRUGBANK Erythromycin
drug DRUGBANK Rifampicin
drug DRUGBANK Tetracycline
drug DRUGBANK Vancomycin
drug DRUGBANK Teicoplanin
drug DRUGBANK Gentamicin
drug DRUGBANK Levofloxacin
drug DRUGBANK Moxifloxacin
drug DRUGBANK Aspartame
drug DRUGBANK Cefuroxime
drug DRUGBANK Imipenem
drug DRUGBANK Meropenem
drug DRUGBANK Colistin
drug DRUGBANK Ceftazidime
drug DRUGBANK Ceftriaxone
drug DRUGBANK Cefazolin
drug DRUGBANK Cefepime
drug DRUGBANK Amikacin
drug DRUGBANK Aztreonam
disease MESH morbidity
disease MESH viral infections
pathway REACTOME Immune System
disease MESH contraindications
disease MESH secondary infections
disease MESH bacteremia
drug DRUGBANK Cefotaxime
drug DRUGBANK Mupirocin
drug DRUGBANK Chlorhexidine

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