The Efficacy and Tolerability of Colistin Versus Non-Colistin Antimicrobial Regimens Among Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Superinfection: An Observational Multicenter Study

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Bacterial infections amongst COVID-19 patients could be associated with worsened outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of colistin antibiotic in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative (-ve) secondary bacterial infections among hospitali...

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Main Authors: Alzahraa M. Fahmy, Marwa O. Elgendy, Alaa Aboud Mohamed, Mohamed S. Imam, Abdullah Nasser Alharbi, Muhammad Husayn Al-Anezi, Omar Mana Aldhafeeri, Saif Mamdouh Aldhafeeri, Jawaher A. Ajeebi, Marwa Kamal, Hasnaa Osama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Medicina
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/884
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Summary:<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Bacterial infections amongst COVID-19 patients could be associated with worsened outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of colistin antibiotic in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative (-ve) secondary bacterial infections among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: In this multicentered retrospective study, we analyzed data from the medical records of 116 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and secondary Gram-negative MDR bacterial respiratory infections. <i>Results</i>: We compared those assigned to colistin versus non-colistin-based antimicrobial therapy. The two arms of the study were similar in baseline clinical features, demographics, and Gram-negative pathogens’ distribution. Acinetobacter baumannii (51.7%) was the major pathogen, followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (26.7%). Patients who received colistin-based antimicrobial regimen showed a non-significant difference compared to non-colistin antimicrobial (NCA) therapy (<i>p</i> > 0.05) in the main outcomes. Nephrotoxicity was significantly higher in the IV colistin group, compared to the control (34.1% and 15.3%, <i>p</i> = 0.018). There were substantial differences observed in the levels of serum creatinine and urea among the study arms (<i>p</i> = 0.029 and <0.001, respectively). <i>Conclusions</i>: The combination of colistin with other antimicrobial agents showed comparable results to that of NCA regimens in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with superinfections with multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates; however, there was a notably elevated incidence of nephrotoxicity with colistin antimicrobial therapy. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the therapeutic benefits and tolerability of colistin antimicrobial therapy.
ISSN:1010-660X
1648-9144