Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objectives
To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the burden of hospital-treated Aspergillus and Candida infections in England.Design
A retrospective study using Hospital Episodes Statistics data to estimate the burden of serious and invasive fungal infections (SIFIs) in all patients admitted in England during March 2018-February 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and during March 2020-October 2021 (the COVID-19 period).Setting
Hospitals in England.Population
All patients with codes corresponding to serious and invasive aspergillosis and candidiasis in any diagnosis position during their admission pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 period.Outcome measures
Age, spells, patient counts, mean length of stay, admission to critical care unit (CCU), length of stay in CCU, 30-day readmissions, failed discharges (readmission within 7 days) and comorbidities.Results
During the COVID-19 period, hospitalisation spells with an invasive candidiasis code fell by 3.2% and spells with an aspergillosis code by 24.8%. Mean length of stay was higher for patients with aspergillosis with or without COVID-19 and candidiasis with or without COVID-19 during the pandemic than before the pandemic. During the pandemic, mean length of stay was higher for patients with aspergillosis with COVID-19 than those with aspergillosis alone but slightly lower for patients with candidiasis with COVID-19 than for those with candidiasis alone. Of patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19, 52.5% with aspergillosis and 60.0% with candidiasis were treated in CCU compared with 13.2% and 37.1%, respectively, without a COVID-19 diagnosis. The percentage of 30-day readmissions and failed discharges for patients with SIFI was higher for those with COVID-19 than for those without.Conclusions
The burden of aspergillosis and candidiasis has been affected by COVID-19. Aspergillosis diagnoses fell among hospitalised patients during the pandemic, while candidiasis continued to fluctuate in patterns similar to pre-COVID-19. A higher burden for patients with SIFI was observed, whether or not they also had a diagnosis of COVID-19. Our findings highlight extra considerations and burden on management of serious SIFI as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SUBMITTER: Sung AH
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10254895 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Sung Anita H AH Kiely Gillian G Singh Jyotika K JK Thomas Stephen S Lough Jemma J Smith Matthew M
BMJ open 20230530 5
<h4>Objectives</h4>To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the burden of hospital-treated <i>Aspergillus</i> and <i>Candida</i> infections in England.<h4>Design</h4>A retrospective study using Hospital Episodes Statistics data to estimate the burden of serious and invasive fungal infections (SIFIs) in all patients admitted in England during March 2018-February 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and during March 2020-October 2021 (the COVID-19 period).<h4>Setting</h4>Hospitals in England.<h4>Population</h4>All ...[more]