Evaluation of healthcare-associated infection rates in patients with hematologic malignancies and stem cell transplantation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

Objective: To evaluate whether rates of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) changed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in malignant hematology and stem cell transplant patients. Design: A retrospective, cohort study. Patients: The study included malignant hematology and stem cell transplant patients admitted between March 1, 2019, through July 31, 2019, and March 1, 2020, through July 31, 2020. Methods: Rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), central-line–associated mucosal barrier injury infections (CLAMBIs), and Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) during the pandemic were compared to those in a control cohort. Secondary outcomes included the rate of non–COVID-19 respiratory viruses. Results: The rate of CAUTIs per 1,000 hospital days was 0.435 before the pandemic and 0.532 during the pandemic (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.224; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0314–47.72; P = .899). The rate of CLABSIs was 0.435 before the pandemic and 1.064 during the pandemic (IRR, 2.447; 95% CI, 0.186–72.18; P = .516). The rate of CLAMBIs was 2.61 before the pandemic and 1.064 during the pandemic (IRR 0.408, 95% CI 0.057–1.927; P = .284). The rate of CDIs was 2.61 before the pandemic and 1.579 during the pandemic (IRR, 0.612; 95% CI, 0.125–2.457; P = .512). Non–COVID-19 respiratory virus cases decreased significantly from 12 (30.8%) to 2 cases (8.3%) (P = 0.014). Conclusions: There was no significant difference in HAIs among inpatient malignant hematology and stem cell transplant patients during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those of a control cohort. Rates of infection were low among both cohorts. Rates of community-acquired respiratory viruses decreased significantly during the pandemic among this population.