Detecting Pathogenic Agents in Mechanically-Ventilated, Critically-Ill COVID-19 Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a global shock since its initial spread in 2019. Medically, patients with coronavirus disease, especially those with pneumonitis, face serious life-threatening risks and often require mechanical ventilation and intensive care. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains a significant concern for critical care providers. Recent reports have highlighted the susceptibility of patients with confirmed COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation to nosocomial pneumonia (NP). Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex (IKHC) in Tehran, Iran, within April 2020 to April 2021. The study focused on critically ill COVID-19 patients who required mechanical ventilation and met the criteria for VAP. Standard biochemical assays were used to identify pure colonies in patients’ sample cultures, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted to assess antimicrobial resistance profiles. The findings were analyzed statistically using SPSS software (version 23.0). Results: Out of 93 endotracheal aspirate samples, 64 samples tested positive for bacteria. Among the 64 eligible patients with positive cultures, 42 (65.6%) and 22 (34.4%) patients were male and female, respectively, with a mean age of 60.56 ± 13.58 years. A total of 52 patients (81.25%) had underlying conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and kidney or heart diseases. According to the study results, the most common pathogens were extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae (7%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (23%). Additionally, 80% of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 90% of Acinetobacter baumannii were observed to be multi-drug resistant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant risks to critically ill patients, often necessitating mechanical ventilation and intensive care. Furthermore, VAP remains a serious challenge in this context, with high rates of XDR K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii. Effective infection control measures and surveillance are critical to mitigating the risk of NP in these vulnerable patients.