Antimicrobials News

Researchers estimated that approximately 23% of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, infections in the United States are treated with new anti-CRE antibiotics compared with about 28% of infections treated with IV polymyxins.

A survey of antimicrobial stewardship programs in the United States revealed that about two-thirds monitor antimicrobial use in patients receiving end-of-life care, but most do not intervene on oral end-of-life antibiotics or provide guidance for patients receiving comfort care, according to researchers.

A study of animal-use probiotics in China showed that approximately one-third contained “life-threatening” pathogens, and that colonized animals shed pathogens into the environment, facilitating spillover to humans.

The use of nonprescription antibiotics is a widespread public health issue in the United States that requires further attention, according to a review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

A surveillance program within Michigan Medicine identified four patients with mcr-1–positive colistin-resistant Escherichia coli, the first such cases identified in the state, researchers reported in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Although subspecialization training encompassing two fellowships is almost unheard of, this experience is where I began my journey in infectious disease clinical practice. As a fourth-year medical student rotating on the pediatric infectious disease service, getting the opportunity to observe the breadth of disease in the category, gain a deeper understanding of “bugs and drugs” and hone my diagnostic skills from truly gifted physicians was awe-inspiring. What impressed me most was that all of the attendings I met were both excellent diagnosticians and had excellent general practitioner skills.

Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage is a proven risk factor for the development of staphylococcal surgical site infections, or SSIs. S. aureus infections are associated with increased length of hospital stays, increased mortality and higher costs of medical care. Nasal colonization rates with S. aureus have been reported to reach up to 30%, with 1% to 3% having methicillin-resistant organisms.

A survey of health care facilities in the United States and 11 other countries found that, since 2013, active surveillance for MRSA has declined, and more than half of facilities now report active surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, suggesting a shift in focus toward gram-negative bacteria, researchers said.

The FDA approved Merck’s three-drug combination antibiotic injection, Recarbrio, for the treatment of complicated UTIs and complicated intra-abdominal infections.

Early evidence suggests that fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT, an established treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, may be able to reduce intestinal colonization of antibiotic-resistant organisms, although more research is needed to determine its safety and efficacy, researchers reported.