Table 2.
Comparison of clinical outcomes and inflammatory parameters in COVID-19 patients showing positive CABP PCR findings (n = 86) with and without antibiotic therapy
| Characteristicsa (Median [25th and 75th percentiles], unless otherwise indicated) | COVID-19 patients showing positive CABP PCR findings | COVID-19 patients showing positive CABP PCR findings with antibiotic therapy | COVID-19 patients showing positive CABP PCR findings without antibiotic therapy | p-valueb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of hospitalization (days) (n = 85) | 8.0 (6.0–12.0) | 11.0 (6.5–14.5) | 7.0 (6.0–9.0) | < 0.01 |
| 30-day mortality rate (n/N [%]) | 4/86 (4.7) | 4/43 (9.3) | 0/43 (0.0) | 0.12 |
| ICU admission (n/N [%]) | 19/85 (22.4) | 13/43 (30.2) | 6/42 (14.3) | 0.12 |
| Age (years) | 58.5 (49.3–68.0) | 61.0 (51.5–68.5) | 55.0 (47.0–68.0) | 0.31 |
| Laboratory findings on admission | ||||
| CRP (mg/dL) (n = 86) | 14.3 (6.8–47.0) | 15.1 (9.2–49.1) | 13.1 (6.1–46.2) | 0.43 |
| CRP at d3 (n = 58) | 3.3 (1.5–6.6) | 4.2 (1.9–7.2) | 2.7 (1.1–5.4) | 0.14 |
| CRP at d7 (n = 39) | 1.7 (0.7–4.0) | 1.3 (0.7–6.0) | 1.8 (1.1–3.3) | 0.90 |
| PCT (µg/L) (n = 70) | 0.10 (0.06–0.20) | 0.11 (0.07–0.25) | 0.08 (0.06–0.10) | 0.06 |
| PCT at d3 (n = 39) | 0.10 (0.06–0.17) | 0.10 (0.06–0.22) | 0.10 (0.06–0.13) | 0.59 |
| PCT at d7 (n = 29) | 0.08 (0.06–0.19) | 0.10 (0.06–0.28) | 0.07 (0.06–0.08) | 0.20 |
| PCT ≥ 0.5 (µg/L) (n = 9) | 5/9 (55.6) | 4/9 (44.4) | 0/9 (0.0) | 0.21 |
| PCT ≥ 0.25 (µg/L) (n = 26) | 13/26 (50.0) | 10/26 (38.5) | 3/26 (11.5) | 0.05 |
PCR polymerase chain reaction, CABP community-acquired bacterial pathogen, PCT procalcitonin, CRP C-reactive protein, ICU intensive care unit
aNot all parameters were evaluated or available for all included patients, leading to differing group sizes, which are indicated by “n” for these variables
bChi-square test or Mann–Whitney U test comparing groups with and without antibiotic therapy