RESISTÊNCIA ANTIMICROBIANA EM TEMPOS DE COVID-19: DESAFIOS E CONSEQUÊNCIAS
RESISTÊNCIA ANTIMICROBIANA EM TEMPOS DE COVID-19: DESAFIOS E CONSEQUÊNCIAS
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.781112524031
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Palavras-chave: SARS-CoV-2; Coinfecção; Automedicação; Antibioticoterapia; Saúde Pública.
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Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Coinfection; Self-medication; Antibiotic therapy; Public health.
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Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to global public health due to its high disease burden and economic losses. The COVID-19 pandemic, as a major health crisis, has captured global attention and influenced both antimicrobial control and AMR surveillance. Due to the similarities between the symptoms of COVID-19 and bacterial pneumonia, along with the occurrence of secondary bacterial/fungal infections, clinicians have encountered challenges in adhering to antibiotic prescribing guidelines. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rise of antimicrobial resistance. For this purpose, an integrative literature review was conducted. Articles published in English in the Scientific Direct and PubMed databases between January 2020 and December 2024 were selected. The following descriptors were used: “COVID-19”, "SARS-CoV-2", “antimicrobial resistance”, “antimicrobials”, “antibiotics”, “treatment”. Through a thorough reading of the selected articles, it was found that, despite the recommendations of international and national guidelines, there was a significant increase in the prescription of antibiotics for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic. A worrying factor in this increase was the prescription of antibiotics without confirmation of bacterial/fungal co-infection. In addition, meropenem was the most prescribed antibiotic. Regarding the cases where co-infection was confirmed, it was observed that Staphylococcus aureus was the main microorganism identified, which was associated with cases of nosocomial infections and upper respiratory tract infections. Finally, when analyzing the cases of self-medication, it was found that the antibiotics azithromycin and amoxicillin were the most used, with the justification of alleviating symptoms or preventing infection by SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, it can be concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increase in the empirical prescription of antimicrobials. Furthermore, the growth of self-medication is a worrying factor, as it is directly associated with the increase in resistance of bacteria and fungi to the antimicrobials used in therapy.
- José Lima Pereira Filho
- Alexandre Cardoso dos Reis
- Viviane da Silva Sousa Almeida
- Francisco Jonathas Rodrigues Nogueira
- Laís Araújo Souza Wolff
- Tainara Silva Gomes
- Igor Camilo de Alencar Lopes
- Rayanne Aguiar Alves
- Bruno Vinicius de Barros Abreu
- Carla Milena Amorim Sá
- Carla Daniele Pinheiro Rodrigues
- Evelyn Cunha Ferreira
- Israel Viegas Moreira