Frequency and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Bacterial Isolates Involved COVID-۱۹ Hospitalized Patients in Two Main Zanjan Educational Hospitals in ۲۰۱۹-۲۰۲۰

Background and Aim : The outbreak of COVID-۱۹ has been challenging the global health systems. As one of the major associated concerns, microbial coinfections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) play critical roles in the prognosis of the disease. This study aims to evaluate coinfections in COVID-۱۹ patients and the regarding AMR.Methods : A number of ۵۵۳۰ Real Time PCR-confirmed COVID-۱۹ cases, who were admitted to two major educational Hospitals in Zanjan, Iran, from February ۲۰۱۹ to February ۲۰۲۰ were investigated. Specimens were cultured on selective media. Isolate identification, disc diffusion susceptibility tests and data analysis were carried out.Results : Bacterial and fungal coinfections were confirmed in ۴۲۳ patients (۸.۱%). Coinfections were more prevalent among females (۵۳.۲%) than males (۴۶.۸%). Conifected patients had a mortality rate of ۵۴.۸%, which was significantly higher than that of those without coinfections (۱۲.۲%). Acinetobacter baumannii was the most prevalent bacteria isolated from respiratory tract (۱۵.۴%) and blood (۲.۱%). Escherichia coli (۱۲.۵%) was the most frequent bacteria in urine. Fungal coinfection was confirmed in ۱۷۴ (۳.۳۶%) patients. Gram-negative bacteria were highly sensitive to colistin (۹۵.۲%) and widely resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (۱۰۰%). Gram-positive bacteria were majorly sensitive to cefezolin, cloxacillin and vancomycin (۷۵%). Tetracycline and ampicillin and were the least effective antibiotics for gram-positive bacteria with respective resistance rates of ۱۰۰% and ۹۱.۳%.Conclusion : Given the high incidence of bacterial coinfections is COVID-۱۹ patients, it is important to develop rapid and efficient diagnostic, therapeutic and disinfection strategies to control these infections in the hospitals.

کلیدواژه ها:

Bacterial isolates ، Covid-۱۹ ، Drug resistant ، Mortality and morbidity. Susceptibility patterns