Early bacterial co-infections and ventilator-associated lower respiratory tract infections among intubated patients during the first and second COVID-19 waves: a European comparative cohort study.

Background: The management of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, alongside logistical constraints, evolved between the first and subsequent COVID-19 waves. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of early bacterial pulmonary co-infections and the incidence of ventilator-associated lower respiratory tract infections (VA-LRTI) across the first and second waves of the pandemic, and to characterize their microbiology.

Methods: Latter part of a multicenter retrospective European cohort analysis conducted in 35 ICUs.