Microbial signatures in the lower airways of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients associated with poor clinical outcome.

ABSTRACT: Respiratory failure is associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients. There are no validated lower airway biomarkers to predict clinical outcome. We investigated whether bacterial respiratory infections were associated with poor clinical outcome of COVID-19 in a prospective, observational cohort of 589 critically ill adults, all of whom required mechanical ventilation. For a subset of 142 patients who underwent bronchoscopy, we quantified SARS-CoV-2 viral load, analysed the lower respiratory tract microbiome using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics and profiled the host immune response. Acquisition of a hospital-acquired respiratory pathogen was not associated with fatal outcome. Poor clinical outcome was associated with lower airway enrichment with an oral commensal (Mycoplas

SUBMITTER: Sulaiman I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8484067 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature