Antimicrobial Stewardship

International study estimates actual and optimal use of WHO AWaRe Access, Watch, and Reserve antibiotic classes in 186 countries and regions.

2026 clinical practice guidelines developed by the IDSA and ESCMID address risk stratification, diagnosis and management of S aureus bacteremia.

Sharon Nachman, MD, chief of pediatric infectious disease at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, explains why local resistance data, not just global forecasts, should drive today's empiric antibiotic choices in children.

A global surveillance study of more than 100,000 pediatric bacterial isolates found rising antimicrobial resistance across all regions from 2004 to 2022, with forecasts projecting continued increases in resistance to last-line antibiotics through 2035.

Zoliflodacin has exhibited low cross-resistance with FQ-resistant and ceftriaxone- and azithromycinresistant in strains of N gonorrhoeae around the world. Here is a review of this recently approved antibiotic.

Basecamp Research's EDEN AI model, now integrated with Claude Science, designed antibiotic peptides active against 97% of WHO priority pathogens in lab tests, including MDR Acinetobacter baumannii, and can reduce vaccine target prioritization from weeks to a single AI conversation.

A multicenter retrospective study found that the DENOVi clinical prediction score can safely help rule out infective endocarditis in patients with enterococcal bacteremia while reducing unnecessary echocardiography.

The FDA has accepted Shionogi's supplemental New Drug Application seeking to expand the indication for cefiderocol (Fetroja) to pediatric patients with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia and complicated urinary tract infections caused by susceptible Gram-negative bacteria, with a regulatory decision expected in February 2027.

This week, read about how laboratory antimicrobial susceptibility results may not predict clinical outcomes, watch a clinician discuss the DOTS and PETERPEN trials, the FDA has granted Priority Review to expand dolutegravir use to newborns with HIV, and more.

New research from Rutgers University suggests that bacterial responses to antibiotics vary significantly under nutrient-limited conditions, highlighting potential limitations of standard laboratory susceptibility testing and offering new insights into why some laboratory findings fail to predict clinical outcomes.

Standard susceptibility testing is performed under controlled conditions that often fail to reflect real-world infections, leading to potential misinterpretation of antibiotic activity in patients with bacteremia.

Results from the global SNAP trial find penicillin as effective as, and safer than, cloxacillin or flucloxacillin for penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Results from the SNAP global trial find cefazolin as effective and safer than the antistaphylococcal penicillins cloxacillin or flucloxacillin for methicillin-sensitive S aureus bacteremia.

DOTS data on dalbavancin for complicated S aureus bacteremia and PETERPEN interim results for ESβL bloodstream infections provide potential options to revisit first-line therapy. Megan Klatt, PharmD, BCIDP, DPLA, discusses insights from these trials and how they can affect clinical practice and stewardship.

A look back at Q2 2026's most significant infectious disease developments, including landmark FDA approvals, a historic hantavirus outbreak, and an update on a mRNA influenza vaccine.

Lao-Tzu Allan-Blitz, MD, MPH, discusses treatment strategies including resistance-guided therapy with molecular gyrA assays and the goal of potentially reintroducing ciprofloxacin as therapy for this infection.

Preclinical findings demonstrate that the novel efflux pump inhibitor TXA14007 significantly enhances azithromycin activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, supporting a potential new oral treatment strategy for difficult-to-treat infections. Jesus Rosado-Lugo, PhD, offers insights on the study at ASM Microbe 2026.

In May 2026, the FDA approved a combination product of cefepime and zidebactam for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, providing a new treatment option for multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms. Here is a clinical overview of the newly approved antibiotic.

The FDA has approved tebipenem pivoxil (Utebzi), the first oral carbapenem antibiotic in the US for adults with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, providing an effective oral alternative to IV therapy for many patients with resistant infections.

Meta-analysis finds approximately 1% of well-appearing outpatient infants aged 60 to 90 days with fever have an invasive bacterial infection.

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is leveraging its new phage therapy coordination efforts to connect researchers and clinicians, standardize approaches, and explore how bacteriophages could complement antibiotics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Colleen Kraft, MD, offers some insights on the organization's plans to help grow this medical modality.

A novel antimicrobial susceptibility testing platform, ATB Finder, is designed to improve treatment outcomes by evaluating antibiotics under conditions that closely mirror the infection site and microbial communities found in patients. George Tetz, MD, PhD, offers insights on this platform.

American Society for Microbiology (ASM) CEO Stefano Bertuzzi, PhD, MPH, discusses how they are reorganizing its structure to create more focused scientific divisions while maintaining collaboration across disciplines and improving member engagement.

Effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with doxycycline for chlamydia and syphilis comes with increase in resistant gonorrhea.

Fluoroquinolones are broadly active and convenient, but black box warnings and resistance concerns have reshaped when and how clinicians should use them.