We compared the outcome of COVID‐19 in immunosuppressed solid organ transplant (SOT) patients to a transplant naïve population. In total, 10 356 adult hospital admissions for COVID‐19 from March 1, 2020 to April 27, 2020 were analyzed. Data were collected on demographics, baseline clinical conditions, medications, immunosuppression, and COVID‐19 course. Primary outcome was combined death or mechanical ventilation. We assessed the association between primary outcome and prognostic variables using bivariate and multivariate regression models. We also compared the primary endpoint in SOT patients to an age, gender, and comorbidity‐matched control group. Bivariate analysis found transplant status, age, gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, COPD, and GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 to be significant predictors of combined death or mechanical ventilation. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, SOT status had a trend toward significance (odds ratio [OR] 1.29; 95% CI 0.99–1.69, p = .06). Compared to an age, gender, and comorbidity‐matched control group, SOT patients had a higher combined risk of death or mechanical ventilation (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.03–1.74, p = .027).

Background Immunosuppressive therapies proposed for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management may predispose to secondary infections. We evaluated the association of immunosuppressive therapies with bloodstream-infections (BSIs) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods This was an institutional review board-approved retrospective, multicenter, cohort study of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 over a 5-month period. We obtained clinical, microbiologic and laboratory data from electronic medical records. Propensity-score-matching helped create balanced exposure groups. Demographic characteristics were compared across outcome groups (BSI/no BSI) using two-sample t-test and Chi-Square test for continuous and categorical variables respectively, while immunosuppressive therapy use was compared using McNemar’s test. Conditional logistic regression helped assess the association between immunosuppressive therapies and BSIs. Results 13,007 patients were originally included, with propensity-score-matching producing a sample of 6,520 patients. 3.74% and 3.97% were diagnosed with clinically significant BSIs in the original and propensity-score-matched populations respectively. COVID-19 patients with BSIs had significantly longer hospitalizations, higher intensive care unit admission and mortality rates compared to those without BSIs. On univariable analysis, combinations of corticosteroids/anakinra [odds-ratio (OR) 2.00, 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) 1.05-3.80, P value.0342] and corticosteroids/tocilizumab [OR 2.13, 95% C.I. 1.16–3.94, P value .0155] were significantly associated with BSIs. On multivariable analysis (adjusting for confounders), combination corticosteroids/tocilizumab were significantly associated with any BSI [OR 1.97, 95% C.I. 1.04–3.73, P value.0386] and with bacterial BSIs [OR 2.13, 95% C.I. 1.12–4.05, p-value 0.0217]. Conclusions Combination immunosuppressive therapies were significantly associated with BSI occurrence in COVID-19 patients; their use warrants increased BSI surveillance. Further studies are needed to establish their causative role.

Respiratory viral illnesses account for many hospitalizations and inappropriate antibiotic use. Respiratory viral panels by polymerase chain reaction (RVP-PCR) provide a reliable means of diagnosis. In 2015, the RVP-PCR assay at our institution was switched from respiratory viral panel (RVP) to rapid respiratory panel (rapid RP), which has a faster turnaround time (24 hours vs 12 hours, respectively). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of RVP-PCR tests on duration of antibiotic use and length of stay (LOS) in hospitalized patients. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who had a RVP-PCR ordered within a 1-year time period before and after the assay switch. Patients who were pregnant, had received antibiotics within 30 days prior to admission, were not discharged, or had not completed antibiotics by end of study period were excluded. Data were obtained from a total of 140 patients (70 in each group). Of these, 25 (35.7%) in the RVP group and 28 (40.0%) in the rapid RP group had a positive result. The median LOS was 4.5 days (IQR, 3-9 days) in the RVP group and 5 days (IQR, 3-9 days) in the rapid RP group ( = .78). The median duration of antibiotic use was 4 days (IQR, 2-7 days) in the RVP group and 5 days (IQR, 1-7 days) in the rapid RP group ( = .8). Despite faster turnaround time, there was no significant difference in duration of antibiotic use, or LOS between the RVP and rapid RP groups.