Azithromycin to prevent Pseudomonas aeruginosa ventilator-associated pneumonia by inhibition of quorum sensing: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Anti-virulence strategies have not been evaluated for the prevention of bacterial infections. Prolonged colonization of intubated patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates producing high-levels of the quorum sensing (QS)-regulated virulence factor rhamnolipids has been associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). In this pathogen, azithromycin reduces QS-regulated virulence.

Rifampin-bonded vascular grafts and postoperative infections.

Postoperative wound and graft infections remain a major challenge for vascular surgeons. The bonding of antimicrobial substances on the graft material has been considered for many years, but the demonstration of safety and efficacy of these techniques is far from evident. Among the different proposed options, bonding of rifampin to the grafts has been the most evaluated technique, both experimentally and clinically.

Effect of clarithromycin in patients with sepsis and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: Because clarithromycin provided beneficiary nonantibiotic effects in experimental studies, its efficacy was tested in patients with sepsis and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Methods: Two hundred patients with sepsis and VAP were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial from June 2004 until November 2005. Clarithromycin (1 g) was administered intravenously once daily for 3 consecutive days in 100 patients; another 100 patients were treated with placebo.

A global survey of antibiotic leftovers in the outpatient setting.

We performed a global survey of outpatients who had taken self-administered antibiotics within the last 12 months in order to identify factors that lead to possession of leftover antibiotics in the community. The study included 4,514 subjects aged 18-99 years. Of 4,192 respondents not currently taking antibiotics, 53.

Non-compliance with antibiotic therapy for acute community infections: a global survey.

A global patient survey of non-compliance with antibiotic therapy for acute community infections included 4514 adult respondents (aged 18-99 years) in 11 countries. Admitted non-compliance (ANC) was reported in 912/4088 (22.3%) of cases but varied widely between countries.