Many patients with severe forms of Covid-19 require intensive care unit (ICU) treatment and mechanical ventilation. As a result, these patients are at a higher risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) because of prolonged sedation and bacteria patients are exposed to in hospitals.
A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Addenbrooke’s Hospital aimed to identify and compare VAP in ventilated Covid-19 patients to other ventilated patients without Covid-19.
During their study, the researchers developed a DNA test which can quickly identify secondary infections in Covid-19 patients who are at an increased risk of developing pneumonia. The results of the study were recently published in the journal Critical Care.
