Antimicrobial Stewardship

University of Oregon researchers found that adding a common chemical, chlorate, to standard antibiotics made them up to 10,000 times more effective in lab tests against hard-to-treat bacteria, offering a potential breakthrough for chronic wound care.

Infections caused by NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales have risen more than 4-fold since 2019, raising alarms about limited treatment options, delayed detection, and heightened risks of transmission and mortality in health care settings. TAXIS Pharmaceuticals Chief Scientific Officer Ajit Parhi, PhD, offers some insights on NDM-CRE, antimicrobial resistance, and an overview of his company’s pipeline.

Recce Pharmaceuticals has begun its study for this indication in Indonesia with its investigational product, RECCE 327 topical gel (R327G).

Stewardship programs that reduce initial use of extended-spectrum antibiotics appear to influence antibiotic choice throughout hospitalization.

The 2025 ATS guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia update recommendations on imaging, antibiotic use, treatment duration, and corticosteroid use, emphasizing lung ultrasound as an alternative diagnostic tool, more selective empiric antibiotic prescribing, shorter courses of antibiotics for stable patients, and limited use of corticosteroids to severe inpatient cases.

Environmental modeling shows inpatient IV therapy has the highest carbon, water, and waste footprint, while OPAT offers major reductions.

A CDC report links the rapid growth of NDM-CRE to testing gaps and urges the prompt use of carbapenemase testing, mechanism-guided therapy, and stronger infection prevention measures.

This week, OPAT for gram-negative infections expands to outpatients amid infusion complexity and stability limits, HHS and CDC add five ACIP members days before meeting, and more.

Eloise Williams, MBBS, BMedSci, MPHTM, FRACP, FRCPA, details how an 8-criterion genomics-plus-clinical framework narrowed 5,881 isolates to 5 strains while prioritizing safety and contemporary relevance.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a rare human respiratory pathogen that can be initially confused for Bordetella pertussis, leading to potentially inadequate treatment. This article reviews the organism and recent literature on the successful treatment of B bronchiseptica.

Shin Hye Yoo, MD, PhD, on a nationwide cohort showing end-of-life antibiotic use clusters in the final months, is higher in hematologic cancers, and offers a window for stewardship and goal-concordant care.

This week, US measles totals reached 1,454, a 750-plus-day SARS-CoV-2 infection in a person with HIV informed care, implementation science efforts advanced access, and a universal flu adjuvant showed promise.

Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD, MPH, provides insights on her recently published study on this topic and how the 2 are connected.

41 cases of nongroupable N meningitidis conjunctivitis were identified at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, highlighting diagnostic, treatment, and surveillance implications for congregate living settings.

From COVID-19 antivirals to RSV, influenza, malaria, and gram-negative infections, new research highlights both advances and ongoing challenges in infectious disease prevention and treatment.

In the midst of many changes surrounding aminoglycosides over the past several years, clinicians may be left wondering if these agents still have a role in modern clinical practice. This article summarizes changes impacting aminoglycosides, discusses where these agents may still have a role in the context of gram-negative infections, and explores future areas of study.

Compared to culture/sensitivity results (C/S) results, ICU-based PCR testing of hospital-acquired pneumonia was associated with lower treatment costs and better antibiotic stewardship, but not higher cure rates.

Iterum Therapeutics has launched its sulopenem etzadroxil and probenecid (Orlynvah), which is the first and only oral penem antibiotic in the US.

Ciprofloxacin monotherapy was non-inferior to aminoglycoside/ciprofloxacin combination for bubonic plague in multi-year trial in endemic region.

A 9-month pilot study showed a 55% reduction in resident colonization with MRSA, VRE, and ESBL, but contamination of high-touch surfaces persisted in rooms of MDRO carriers.

The NARROWS framework, developed within the IDSA Core Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum, provides a structured, behaviorally informed approach to communication that helps stewardship teams address the social, emotional, and cultural factors influencing prescribing decisions in order to optimize antimicrobial use and combat resistance.

Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Thomas Walsh, MD, talks about Allegheny General Hospital being recognized as an Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Center of Excellence and some of the stewardship strategies they are employing to reduce antimicrobial usage.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic, multidrug-resistant pathogen that poses significant treatment challenges due to its complex resistance mechanisms, limited therapeutic options, and high mortality rates among vulnerable patients.

Deeksha Jandhyala, MD, discusses how her team works to prevent infections and provide clinical assistance for transplant candidates.

Clinical trial and real-world data, including the PROVE study, support its role as an effective and carbapenem-sparing therapy for serious infections, though outcomes vary depending on pathogen and infection type.