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Changes in Etiology and Clinical Outcomes of Pleural empyema during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Source :
-
Microorganisms [Microorganisms] 2023 Jan 24; Vol. 11 (2). Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 24. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Healthcare-seeking behavior changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and might alter the epidemiology of pleural empyema. In this study, the incidence, etiology and outcomes of patients admitted for pleural empyema in Hong Kong in the pre-COVID-19 (January 2015-December 2019) and post-COVID-19 (January 2020-June 2022) periods were compared. Overall, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the predominant organism in <18-year-old patients, while Streptococcus anginosus, anaerobes and polymicrobial infections were more frequent in adults. In the post-COVID-19 period, a marked decline in the incidence of pleural empyema in children was observed (pre-COVID-19, 18.4 ± 4.8 vs. post-COVID-19, 2.0 ± 2.9 cases per year, p = 0.036), while the incidence in adults remained similar (pre-COVID-19, 189.0 ± 17.2 vs. post-COVID-19, 198.4 ± 5.0 cases per year; p = 0.23). In the post-COVID-19 period, polymicrobial etiology increased (OR 11.37, p < 0.0001), while S. pneumoniae etiology decreased (OR 0.073, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, clinical outcomes (length of stay, ICU admission, use of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy, surgical intervention, death) were not significantly different in pre- and post-COVID-19 periods. In conclusion, an increase in polymicrobial pleural empyema was observed during the pandemic. We postulate that this is related to the delayed presentation of pneumonia to hospitals.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2076-2607
- Volume :
- 11
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Microorganisms
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 36838268
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020303