NEW YORK, April 15 (IANS) People hospitalized for Covid-19 are more likely to have health care-associated infections, a study finds.
The study, published online in JAMA Network Open, showed that the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and methicillin-resistant bacteremia were between 2.7- and 3.7-fold higher in the Covid-19 group. .
“Patients with Covid-19 may require additional preventative care to prevent infection,” said Kenneth E. Sands, along with other authors from HCA Healthcare in Tennessee, US.
For the study, the team conducted a cross-sectional analysis of more than 5 million hospitalizations between 2020 and 2022.
The results showed that the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections was about four times higher in the Covid-19 population than in the non-Covid-19 population (25.4 vs 6.9 per 100,000 patient-days).
Similar trends were seen for catheter-associated UTIs (16.5 vs 6.1) and for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (11.2 vs 3.7).
However, the study found that the incidence of this infection among hospitalized patients without Covid-19 did not increase significantly.
“Despite the strain on the healthcare system, the increase in healthcare-related infections was not observed in the non-Covid-19 population, indicating maintenance of key safety processes,” the team said.
– Jans
rvt / United Kingdom /
