Empirical antibiotic therapy improves outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19: An emulated targeted trial within a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Background: Bacterial pulmonary superinfections develop in a substantial proportion of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients and are associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation requirements and an increased mortality. Albeit recommended, evidence supporting the use of empirical antibiotics at intubation is weak and of low quality. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of empirical antibiotics, administered within 24hours of endotracheal intubation, on superinfections, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19.

Major candidate variables to guide personalised treatment with steroids in critically ill patients with COVID-19: CIBERESUCICOVID study.

Purpose: Although there is evidence supporting the benefits of corticosteroids in patients affected with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is little information related to their potential benefits or harm in some subgroups of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19. We aim to investigate to find candidate variables to guide personalized treatment with steroids in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Methods: Multicentre, observational cohort study including consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to 55 Spanish ICUs.

N-antigenemia detection by a rapid lateral flow test predicts 90-day mortality in COVID-19: A prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To evaluate if the detection of N antigen of SARS-CoV-2 in plasma by a rapid lateral flow test predicts 90-day mortality in COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the wards.

Methods: The presence of N-antigenemia was evaluated in the first 36 hours after hospitalization in 600 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, by using the Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device from Abbott (Abbott Laboratories Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Methodology of a Large Multicenter Observational Study of Patients with COVID-19 in Spanish Intensive Care Units.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic created tremendous challenges for health-care systems. Intensive care units (ICU) were hit with a large volume of patients requiring ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and other organ support with very high mortality. The Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), a network of Spanish researchers to investigate in respiratory disease, commissioned the current proposal in response to the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) call.