Vnitr Lek 2021, 67(8):448-454 | DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2021.118

Antibiotic treatment issues in patients with COVID-19

Milan Kolář¹, Lenka Doubravská², Petr Jakubec³, Miroslava Htoutou Sedláková¹, Kateřina Fišerová¹

¹ Ústav mikrobiologie, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

² Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

³ Klinika plicních nemocí a tuberkulózy, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

The COVID-19 pandemic may increase the current threat of antimicrobial resistance and exacerbate another, rather silent, pandemic posed by the increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens and the associated potential for loss of effective antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment has often been used in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 due to concerns about possible bacterial co-infection, as confirmed by previous experience with viral respiratory infections such as H1N1 influenza, SARS and MERS. Concerns or unknowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic have also affected physicians' behavior, including the use of antibiotics. However, the high rate of antibiotic use in patients, especially those with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease, is inconsistent with the actual incidence of bacterial co-infections and/or secondary respiratory infections. Thus, it is clear that a careful assessment of the role of antibiotic treatment in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 is required. According to the current WHO recommendation, the application of antibiotics is especially suitable for patients with severe/critical degree of respiratory insufficiency requiring intensive oxygen therapy, artificial lung ventilation or support by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Keywords: COVID-19, bacteria, pneumonia, antibiotics.

Published: December 9, 2021  Show citation