The most common pathogens isolated in our ventilator-vssociated pneumonia (VAP) patients were Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus.

Resistance to the major classes of antibiotics has reached alarming levels. Therefore, continuous surveillance of these pathogens is essential.

The presence of COVID-19 was associated with a longer duration of mechanical ventilation and a higher risk of death. COVID-19 patients who underwent invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) had a greater risk of death compared to those who received non-invasive ventilation (NIV).

Additionally, the length of hospitalization and the total hours of ventilation were linked to the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and an increased risk of death in both patient groups.

The incidence of MDR bacteria was notably higher among patients, with non-COVID-19 patients showing a greater relative frequency of antimicrobial-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

All strains of MDR Acinetobacter spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae were resistant to carbapenems in both COVID-19-positive and negative patients.

Interestingly, the resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MDR strains to carbapenems was found to be more prevalent in COVID-19-negative patients.

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