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Pathogens in PICU before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in China: a multicenter retrospective study
Jingwen Ni1,2, Zhe Zhao2, Chun Wang3
1Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Luoyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Luoyang, China.
Insights
COVID-19 control measures reduced hospitalizations and bacterial infections in pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The incidence of Haemophilus influenzae significantly decreased, while Streptococcus pneumoniae showed an upward trend.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Nonpharmacological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic may impact pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions and bacterial infection rates.
- Evaluating changes in bacterial profiles in PICU patients before and during the pandemic is crucial for understanding these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the shifts in bacterial profiles among children admitted to the PICU.
- To compare bacterial infection incidence in PICU patients in 2019 versus 2021.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from children with positive bacterial cultures.
- Comparison of data from PICU admissions in 2019 and 2021.
Main Results:
- Total hospitalizations and bacterial infections in PICU were lower in 2021 compared to 2019.
- No significant differences were observed in the ratios of Gram-positive, Gram-negative, or fungal infections.
- Incidence of Haemophilus influenzae decreased significantly (p=0.002), while Streptococcus pneumoniae showed a non-significant increase (p=0.127).
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 isolation and control measures led to reduced PICU hospitalizations and bacterial infections, potentially due to altered population behavior.
- A notable downward trend in Haemophilus influenzae incidence was observed in hospitalized pediatric patients.
Background:
Nonpharmacological interventions for COVID-19 could reduce the incidence of children hospitalized in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) and the incidence of children with bacterial infections. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the bacterial profile of children in PICU before and during the COVID-19 pandemics.
Methods:
This is a retrospective study, involving clinical data of children with positive bacterial cultures admitted to the PICU respectively in 2019 and 2021.
Results:
In total 652 children were included in this study. The total number of hospitalized patients and the incidence of bacteria-positive children in 2021 were lower than those in 2019. There were no significant differences in the ratio of Gram-positive bacterial infection, Gram-negative bacteria infection or fungi infection between the two years. The rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae in 2021 was higher than that in 2019(p = 0.127). The incidence of Haemophilus influenzae in hospitalized patients decreased with a downward trend(p = 0.002). The distribution of previous underlying diseases in children admitted to PICU with different outcomes of bacterial infection between the two years were homogeneous (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
After the implementation of COVID-19 isolation, prevention and control measures, the number of hospitalizations and bacterial infections in PICU decreased, which may be due to changes in population's behavior patterns. Meanwhile, the incidence of Haemophilus influenzae in hospitalized patients decreased with a downward trend.
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