Impact of a Laboratory-Developed Phenotypic Rapid Susceptibility Test Directly From Positive Blood Cultures on Time to Narrowest Effective Therapy in Patients With Gram-Negative Bacteremia: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

Background: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is often needed prior to antimicrobial optimization for patients with gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN-BSIs). Rapid AST (rAST) in combination with antimicrobial stewardship (AS) may decrease time to administration of narrower antibiotics.

Methods: This was a prospective, nonblinded, randomized trial evaluating the impact of a phenotypic rAST method vs conventional AST (cAST) in hospitalized patients with GN-BSI and source control.

Remdesivir and Mortality in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background: The impact of remdesivir (RDV) on mortality rates in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is controversial, and the mortality effect in subgroups of baseline disease severity has been incompletely explored. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of RDV with mortality rates in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study we compared persons receiving RDV with those receiving best supportive care (BSC).

Newly Approved Antimicrobials.

In recent years, government-backed policies have promoted the development of new antimicrobials to combat increases in antibiotic-resistant organisms. This article summarizes the 10 new antibacterial agents to be approved in the last 5 years.

Diagnostic stewardship of C. difficile testing: a quasi-experimental antimicrobial stewardship study.

Objective: We evaluated whether a diagnostic stewardship initiative consisting of ASP preauthorization paired with education could reduce false-positive hospital-onset (HO) Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).

Design: Single center, quasi-experimental study.

Setting: Tertiary academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois.