Early Bacterial Identification among Intubated Patients with COVID-19 or Influenza Pneumonia: A European Multicenter Comparative Clinical Trial
Authors: Anahita Rouzé, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Pedro Povoa, Matthieu Metzelard, Damien Du Cheyron, Fabien Lambiotte, Fabienne Tamion, Marie Labruyere, Claire Boulle Geronimi, Ania Nieszkowska, Martine Nyunga, Olivier Pouly, Arnaud W. Thille, Bruno Megarbane, Anastasia Saade, Emili Diaz, Eleni Magira, Jean-François Llitjos, Catia Cilloniz, Iliana Ioannidou, Alexandre Pierre, Jean Reignier, Denis Garot, Louis Kreitmann, Jean-Luc Baudel, Muriel Fartoukh, Gaëtan Plantefeve, Alexandra Beurton, Pierre Asfar, Alexandre Boyer, Armand Mekontso-Dessap, Demosthenes Makris, Christophe Vinsonneau, Pierre-Edouard Floch, Nicolas Weiss, Adrian Ceccato, Antonio Artigas, Mathilde Bouchereau, Alain Duhamel, Julien Labreuche, Saad Nseir, Julien Poissy, Raphaël Favory, Sébastien Preau, Mercè Jourdain, Sean Boyd, Luis Coelho, Pierre Cuchet, Wafa Zarrougui, Déborah Boyer, Jean-Pierre Quenot, Mehdi Imouloudene, Charles-Edouard Luyt, Thierry van der Linden, Justine Bardin, Sebastian Voicu, Elie Azoulay, Gemma Goma, Frédéric Pene, Antoni Torres, Didier Thevenin, Stéphan Ehrmann, Laurent Argaud, Bertrand Guidet, Guillaume Voiriot, Damien Contou, Julien Le Marec, Julien Demiselle, David Meguerditchian, Keyvan Razazi, Vassiliki Tsolaki, Caroline Sejourne, Guillaume Brunin, Loïc Le Guennec, Luis Morales
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2021)

Rationale: Early empirical antimicrobial treatment is frequently prescribed to critically ill patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines.Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence of early bacterial identification in intubated patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, as compared with influenza pneumonia, and to characterize its microbiology and impact on outcomes.Methods: A multicenter retrospective European cohort was performed in 36 ICUs. All adult patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation >48 hours were eligible if they had SARS-CoV-2 or influenza pneumonia at ICU admission. Bacterial identification was defined by a positive bacterial culture within 48 hours after intubation in endotracheal aspirates, BAL, blood cultures, or a positive pneumococcal or legionella urinary antigen test.Measurements and Main Results: A total of 1,050 patients were included (568 in SARS-CoV-2 and 482 in influenza groups). The prevalence of bacterial identification was significantly lower in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia compared with patients with influenza pneumonia (9.7 vs. 33.6%; unadjusted odds ratio, 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15–0.30; adjusted odds ratio, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.16–0.33; P < 0.0001). Gram-positive cocci were responsible for 58% and 72% of coinfection in patients with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza pneumonia, respectively. Bacterial identification was associated with increased adjusted hazard ratio for 28-day mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (1.57; 95% CI, 1.01–2.44; P = 0.043). However, no significant difference was found in the heterogeneity of outcomes related to bacterial identification between the two study groups, suggesting that the impact of coinfection on mortality was not different between patients with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.Conclusions: Bacterial identification within 48 hours after intubation is significantly less frequent in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia than patients with influenza pneumonia.Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 04359693).