Antimicrobial consumption in pediatric intensive care units during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The absence of standardized treatment for critical children admitted in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with COVID could lead to an increase in antimicrobial consumption, as indirect effect. Aim: To describe trends of antimicrobial consumption in two PICUs before and during the COVID pandemic year. Methods: We did a retrospective study in children admitted in two PICUs of Rio de Janeiro city, between March 2019 and March 2021. The first year represented the pre-pandemic period and the last one the pandemic period. Trends of antimicrobial consumption were measured by days of therapy (DOT/1000 patient-days) and analyzed by linear regression for antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals Results: Number of patients-days in the PICU 1 was 3495 in the pre-pandemic period and 3600 in the pandemic period. The overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 15,308.1, 942.8 and 1,691.1, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 13,481.5, 1,335.4 and 1,243.7, respectively in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic and antifungals and increase in antivirals consumption. Number of patients-days in the PICU 2 was 5029 in the pre-pandemic period and 4557 in the pandemic period and the overall DOT/1000 PD of antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal was 16,668.5, 1,385 and 1,966.7, respectively in the pre-pandemic period and 10,896.5, 830.7 and 677.3 in pandemic period. It was verified trend of reduction of antibiotic, antivirals and antifungals consumption. Conclusion: Trends of antimicrobial consumption reduction were verified for antibiotics and antifungals in two PICUs and reduction for antiviral in one of them