Does the Fetus Limit Antibiotic Treatment in Pregnant Patients with COVID-19?

• Published in: Antibiotics (Basel) 2022-02, Vol.11 (2), p.252
• Main Authors: Ramírez-Lozada, Tito, Loranca-García, María Concepción, Fuentes-Venado, Claudia Erika, Rodríguez-Cerdeira, Carmen, Ocharan-Hernández, Esther, Soriano-Ursúa, Marvin A, Farfán-García, Eunice D, Chávez-Gutiérrez, Edwin, Ramírez-Magaña, Xóchitl, Robledo-Cayetano, Maura, Loza-Mejía, Marco A, Santa-Olalla, Ivonne Areli Garcia, Torres-Paez, Oscar Uriel, Pinto-Almazán, Rodolfo, Martínez-Herrera, Erick
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abuse; Aminoglycosides; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Beta lactamases; Care and treatment; Comorbidity; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Development and progression; Dihydrofolate reductase; Disease susceptibility; Drug resistance; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Drug tolerance; E coli; Escherichia coli; fetus; Fetuses; Health aspects; Immunological tolerance; Immunosuppressive agents; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Neonates; Patients; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Public health; Reductases; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Streptococcus infections; Teratogenesis; Teratogenicity; Tetracycline; Tetracyclines; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Virus diseases; Womens health; β-Lactam antibiotics
• ISSN: 2079-6382; 2079-6382
• DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11020252

During pregnancy, there is a state of immune tolerance that predisposes them to viral infection, causing maternal-fetal vulnerability to the adverse effects of COVID-19. Bacterial coinfections significantly increase the mortality rate for COVID-19. However, it is known that all drugs, including antibiotics, will enter the fetal circulation in a variable degree despite the role of the placenta as a protective barrier and can cause teratogenesis or other malformations depending on the timing of exposure to the drug. Also, it is important to consider the impact of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics during pregnancy can alter both the maternal and fetal-neonatal microbiota, generating future repercussions in both. In the present study, the literature for treating bacterial coinfections in pregnant women with COVID-19 is reviewed. In turn, we present the findings in 50 pregnant women hospitalized diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 without previous treatment with antibiotics; moreover, a bacteriological culture of sample types was performed. Seven pregnant women had coinfection with , , , ESBL +, biotype 1 and 2, , , and . When performing the antibiogram, resistance to multiple drugs was found, such as macrolides, aminoglycosides, sulfa, dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors, beta-lactams, etc. The purpose of this study was to generate more scientific evidence on the better use of antibiotics in these patients. Because of this, it is important to perform an antibiogram to prevent abuse of empirical antibiotic treatment with antibiotics in pregnant women diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2.