Acinetobacter baumannii : a known pathogen, a new problem

Studies carried out by Russo and collaborators (2021) brought a warning that the development of bloodstream infections caused by MDR A. baumannii in patients with COVID-19 further complicates the hospital course and contributes to the high mortality rate of the population in the study.6 Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. The report highlights that the possible factors that contributed to this were the exponential increase in the number of more debilitated patients, especially in intensive care units, the more extended period of hospitalization, and even the shortage of personnel and protective equipment.13 In Brazil, some recent studies have already reported that in the post-pandemic period, there was an increased incidence of CRAB infections in different hospitals compared to pre-pandemic periods.14 Another point directly linked to antibiotic resistance deserves to be highlighted. Apart for this, the funding sources had no role in study design, or in the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of data. Risk factors and effect on mortality of superinfections in a newly established COVID-19 respiratory sub-intensive care unit at University Hospital in Rome.