Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41045404›Full record

SynthesisAntonie van Leeuwenhoek2025

Impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria: a literature review and meta-analysis.

Haseeb Ahmed, Zain Ul Abideen, Ammar Azmat, Muhammad Irfan, Salman Anjum, Afaf Dirie

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  7. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Haseeb AhmedDepartment of Public Health, Middlesex University, London, UK. Ahmed.haseeb409@gmail.com.
Zain Ul AbideenDepartment of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Rd, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan.
Ammar AzmatDepartment of Public Health, London Metropolitan University, London, UK.
Muhammad IrfanDepartment of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Rd, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan.
Salman AnjumDepartment of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Park Rd, Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan.
Afaf DirieDepartment of Public Health, Middlesex University, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the global healthcare delivery system, raising concerns about its influence on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of MDR bacteria in different healthcare environments. A systematic search was carried out in PubMed-MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, BIOSIS, Scopus, and Google Scholar for articles published from December 2019 to January 2024. After screening 77 full-text studies, 28 studies were included in the analysis. The inclusion criteria included original human studies presenting MDR bacteria incidence before and during/after COVID-19 with reference to Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci, Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. The overall odds ratio (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.70-1.17) indicates no significant change in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection between the pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 period. There was no significant change in the prevalence of MRSA, ESBL, and VRE pre- and post-COVID. However, there was a significant reduction in the prevalence of CR-Ab, CRE, and CRPA pre- and during/after-COVID-19. MDR prevalence was significantly increased in Asia (18%) while it decreased slightly in North America (10.3%), showing variations in antibiotic use. The findings show that COVID-19 has different effects on the prevalence of MDR bacteria across geographical regions and healthcare facilities.

Indexed as

BacteriaBacterial InfectionsCOVID-19Drug Resistance, Multiple, BacterialAnti-Bacterial AgentsHumansPrevalenceSARS-CoV-2Anti-Bacterial AgentsAntimicrobial resistanceCOVID-19Healthcare-associated infectionsMeta-analysisMultidrug-resistant bacteria

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.