TY - JOUR AB - The future waves of COVID 19 infections will continue to raise serious problems in patients with severe forms of the disease. Bacterial infections associated with SARS‑CoV‑2 disease may complicate the progress of hospitalized patients with COVID‑19. The present study aimed to evaluate the etiological spectrum of superinfection in adult patients with COVID‑19 and to investigate the correlation between superinfection with multidrug‑resistant (MDR) bacteria and serum procalcitonin (PCT). A total of 82 COVID‑19 hospitalized patients with COVID‑19 and bacterial superinfection were included. The superinfections were classified into early infections (3‑7 days from admission) and late infections (>7 days from admission). Bacterial superinfection etiological spectrum, MDR bacteria profile and levels of serum PCT were studied. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus spp. MDR bacteria were involved in 73.17% of COVID‑19 patients with bacterial superinfections. Most MDR bacteria superinfections (73.52%) occurred in the late infection period. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus spp. and Methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus were the most common MDR bacteria identified in late infections after hospitalization in 20.43, 4.30 and 4.30% of all infections, respectively. Serum PCT values were significantly higher in patients with MDR bacteria superinfection compared with patients with sensitive bacteria superinfection (P=0.009). The principal findings of the present study were the high prevalence of superinfection with MDR bacteria among the COVID‑19 patients with bacterial superinfections and the presence of a statistically significant association between serum PCT levels and the presence of superinfection with MDR bacteria. The most effective way to fight against microbial resistance to antibiotics, whether it occurs independently or overlaps with viral infections, is to pursue a national policy for the rational use of antibiotics. AD - Department of Internal Medicine, Centre for Preventive Medicine, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania Department of Family Medicine, Centre for Preventive Medicine, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania Department of General Medicine, Vasile Goldis University of Medicine, Arad 310048, Romania Department of Microbiology, Multidisciplinary Research Center on Antimicrobial Resistance, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania Bioclinica Medical Analysis Laboratory, Arad 310300, Romania Department of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine Study Center, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania Department of Toxicology, Research Center for Pharmaco‑Toxicological Evaluations, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania Department of Internal Medicine, Advanced Research Center for Cardiovascular Pathology and Haemostaseology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania Department of Biology and Life Sciences, Vasile Goldis University of Medicine, Arad 310048, Romania AU - Susan,Monica AU - Susan,Razvan AU - Lazar,Viorica AU - Bagiu,Iulia-Cristina AU - Mihu,Alin,Gabriel AU - Bagiu,Radu,Vasile AU - Ionescu,Alin AU - Iana,Andreea,Narcisa AU - Dehelean,Cristina,Adriana AU - Lighezan,Daniel AU - Marti,Daniela,Teodora DA - 2023/06/01 DO - 10.3892/etm.2023.11953 IS - 6 JO - Exp Ther Med KW - COVID‑19 bacterial superinfection multidrug‑resistant bacteria serum procalcitonin PY - 2023 SN - 1792-0981 1792-1015 SP - 254 ST - COVID-19 association with multidrug-resistant bacteria superinfections: Lessons for future challenges T2 - Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine TI - COVID-19 association with multidrug-resistant bacteria superinfections: Lessons for future challenges UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.11953 VL - 25 ER -