Antimicrobial Stewardship

With melting ice and the release of ancient viruses, there are concerns around the emergence of potentially unknown infectious diseases. Emily Jenkins PhD, DVM, BScHon, offers insights on “zombie viruses” and says polar bears might hold the key to understanding what lies ahead, and how a One Health approach may help in surveillance and prevention.

This bacteremia can present heterogeneously and be difficult to contain, especially in an older patient population. Daniel B. Chastain, PharmD, BCIDP, AAHIVP, FIDSA, reviews the data of this class of therapies and how it may be clinically beneficial in combination with other antimicrobials.

Kenneth Lawrence, PharmD, discusses the global problem and the need for a layered, multifaceted approach to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and some of the ongoing inroads and progress being made to address the medical issue.

Along with the CDC, we highlight the One Health approach and advocate for effective infection control measures, such as vaccination and innovative technologies, to prevent the spread of resistant pathogens and combat AMR.

The BALANCE trial suggests that shorter treatment durations may reduce healthcare costs, antibiotic exposure, and antimicrobial resistance risk, providing an alternative for critically ill patients.

Women were found more likely than men to die following Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in both a national cohort study and a meta-analysis.

With up to 37.5% of children carrying this resistance mutation the findings suggest that current treatment protocols may be losing effectiveness.

The Fall 2024 Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grades demonstrate an ongoing downward trend in recent years of these challenging inpatient management issues.

Findings from the CAPELLA study reveal virologic suppression and a safety profile for multidrug-resistant HIV-1.

Investigators propose limiting initial use of antibiotics for group A streptococcal pharyngitis in children after finding placebo noninferior in reducing symptoms.

In a world heavily focused on therapeutic options for multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance among enterococci is often an under-recognized risk.

This composite peptide vaccine targets key bacterial toxins to prevent sepsis, enhance antibiotic efficacy, reduce inflammation in diseases and cancer, with further data expected soon.

A five-year study highlights high virologic suppression and well-tolerated treatment in black patients.

A study of carbapenemase-producing organisms found similar rates of infections, highlighting treatment challenges, the role of rapid diagnostics, and surveillance on antimicrobial stewardship due to high mortality rates.

Deborah Birx, MD, and Amy Carenza, BBA, highlight the targeting of multidrug-resistant organisms and tracking of infection trends without increasing staffing needs.

Led by Shruti K. Gohil, MD, MPH, the trials examined how computerized physician order entry prompts can reduce the use of extended-spectrum antibiotics in hospitalized patients while maintaining patient safety.

ActivePure’s Deborah Birx, MD, and Amy Carenza, BBA, discuss their study showing a 99% reduction in fungal colony-forming units, 98% reduction in aerobic bacteria, and a 66% decrease in C auris.

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) Subcommittee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing had its series of meetings to update breakpoints for a variety of classes of antimicrobials.

Corey Fishman and Steven Aronin, MD, discussed trial highlights of Orlynvah for uncomplicated urinary tract infections and outlining plans to seek partners for a market launch to address antibiotic resistance and enhance patient treatment options.

With AMR being a global priority, biosecurity-type policy around resistance may be part of the solution.

Iterum Therapeutics receives approval for Orlynvah as the first oral penem for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections in adult women with limited treatment options.

Jose Alexander, MD, offers some insights on the antimicrobial and its activity against various gram-negative pathogens such as pseudomonas, enterobacterales.

Christine Slover, PharmD discussed cefiderocol's effectiveness against challenging infections, including those caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Cornelius Clancy, MD, highlights the real-world outcomes of cefiderocol treatment for serious gram-negative bacterial infections, reporting a clinical success rate of 75% along with encouraging safety data.

At ID Week 2024, in a late-breaking presentation, investigators are reporting it is safe to cut the antibiotic regimen in half without endangering patients for these infections.

Nabin K. Shrestha, MD, MPH, evaluates the Cleveland Clinic's Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program, revealing its effectiveness in managing infections while highlighting challenges in monitoring and the impact of infectious disease pharmacists on patient outcomes.

A holistic, multifaceted approach with a variety of stakeholders are needed to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The recent UN meeting on this topic looked to bring together government leaders, industry, and public health officials to discuss strategies regarding the global health crisis.

The ideal parameter for vancomycin monitoring is the area under the curve, which can be calculated using pharmacokinetic equations or Bayesian software.

Over the past four years, an investigation across California hospitals has linked ice and water use in clinical settings to potential infections.

The pharmaceutical industry faces challenges when investing in new antibiotics, which emphasizes the need for regulatory reforms, incentives, and collaborative efforts between government, healthcare organizations, and private companies. The prospective bill, the Pasteur Act, is one potential strategy to help in these areas, and incentivize pharmaceutical companies to develop these essential therapies.