Temporal Shifts in Pathogen Profiles Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Romanian Pediatric Tertiary Hospital.

ABSTRACT: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted pediatric healthcare systems globally, altering infection dynamics, hospital admissions, and antimicrobial practices. This study aimed to evaluate temporal shifts in patient demographics, clinical aspects, and microbial pathogen profiles in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Western Romania, spanning pre-pandemic (2019), pandemic (2021), and post-pandemic (2023) periods. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the "Louis Țurcanu" Emergency Children's Hospital, Timișoara. Pediatric patients (<18 years) with laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were included. Data on demographics, hospital wards, sample types, and pathogen distribution were analyzed using Χ² tests, incidence rate ratios (IRR), and n

SUBMITTER: Vulcanescu DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12468864 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature