LAY SUMMARY
This study will investigate bloodstream infections in patients who needed help from a ventilator to breathe while receiving intensive care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will examine how often these infections occurred, which factors were associated with a greater likelihood of infection, and where the infections were likely to have started.
WHY IS THIS RESEARCH NEEDED?
Patients with severe COVID-19 who receive intensive care may be at risk of infections acquired in hospital. These include infections of the lungs, urinary tract and bloodstream. A bloodstream infection occurs when bacteria or yeast are found in the blood. These infections can lead to further complications, a longer hospital stay and a greater risk of death, but some may be preventable.
WHAT WILL THE RESEARCHERS DO?
The research team will use routinely collected hospital information to calculate how often bloodstream infections caused by bacteria or yeast occurred in ventilated patients with COVID-19. They will compare this with ventilated patients without COVID-19 who were treated during the pandemic, and with ventilated patients treated before the pandemic.
These comparisons will help the team explore whether differences were linked to COVID-19 itself or to wider changes in intensive care during the pandemic. The researchers will also examine which factors were associated with a greater likelihood of infection and the likely source, such as the lungs, urinary tract or a medical device.
HOW WILL PATIENT INFORMATION BE USED?
PIONEER enables the research team to bring together, and study relevant information already collected during patients’ hospital care. This information will be used to answer the research questions and will be handled within PIONEER’s trusted research environment under its data access and governance processes.
HOW COULD THIS HELP PATIENTS?
The findings may help intensive care teams recognise which patients are more likely to develop a bloodstream infection and understand where infections may begin. This could inform recommendations to strengthen infection prevention, the use and care of medical devices, and clinical monitoring for future patients.
HOW HAVE PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC BEEN INVOLVED?
The research team has worked with the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in Research Lead at University Hospitals Birmingham. Opportunities to contribute were shared through social media, a long COVID-19 support charity and two University Hospitals Birmingham research groups. Response levels were limited, and the groups will continue to be updated on the study’s progress.
REVIEW AND APPROVAL
This project was reviewed and supported by the PIONEER Data Trust Committee.
The study is led by Gemma Winzor, Consultant Microbiologist at University Hospitals Birmingham.
