Publications by authors named "Neal Irfan"

Background: We report results from the national CLEAR (Canadian Leadership on Antimicrobial Real-Life Usage) registry on the usage of ceftolozane/tazobactam in Canada from 2022 to 2024.

Research Design And Methods: The authors reviewed the final data using the national ethics approved CLEAR study. Thereafter, the literature is surveyed regarding the usage of ceftolozane/tazobactam to treat patients with HABP and VABP via PubMed (up to May 2024).

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Taniborbactam (formerly known as VNRX-5133) is a novel bicyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor of serine β-lactamases (SBLs) [Ambler classes A, C, and D] and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) [Ambler class B], including NDM and VIM, but not IMP. Cefepime-taniborbactam is active in vitro against most isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), including both carbapenemase-producing and carbapenemase-non-producing CRE and CRPA, as well as against multidrug-resistant (MDR), ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant, meropenem-vaborbactam-resistant, and ceftolozane-tazobactam-resistant Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzes the clinical usage data of ceftobiprole in Canada, focusing on its effectiveness in treating severe infections, particularly those caused by MRSA, through the CLEAR registry.
  • Ceftobiprole is often prescribed for patients who do not respond to other antibiotics and is commonly used in combination with daptomycin and/or vancomycin, demonstrating high success rates and excellent safety.
  • Additionally, the drug is used empirically in certain cases of community-acquired and hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia, reinforcing its utility in clinical settings.
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Objectives: We report the use of IV dalbavancin in Canadian patients using data captured by the national CLEAR registry.

Methods: The CLEAR registry uses the web-based data management program, REDCap™ (online survey https://rcsurvey.radyfhs.

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Objectives: Data on the use of intravenous (IV) fosfomycin in Canada are limited. Using data captured by the Canadian LEadership on Antimicrobial Real-life usage (CLEAR) registry, we report the use of IV fosfomycin in Canadian patients.

Methods: The CLEAR registry uses the web-based data management program, REDCap (https://rcsurvey.

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Sulopenem (formerly known as CP-70,429, and CP-65,207 when a component of a racemic mixture with its R isomer) is an intravenous and oral penem that possesses in vitro activity against fluoroquinolone-resistant, extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales. Sulopenem is being developed to treat patients with uncomplicated and complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) as well as intra-abdominal infections. This review will focus mainly on its use in UTIs.

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Objectives: We compared the effectiveness of cefazolin and cloxacillin as definitive antibiotic therapy for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) spinal epidural abscess (SEA).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with MSSA SEA from two academic hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, between 2014 and 2020. Patients treated with cefazolin were compared to those treated with cloxacillin.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ceftolozane/tazobactam, a cephalosporin and β-lactamase inhibitor, is being utilized in Canada to treat tough infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, specifically multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • Data from the CLEAR registry shows that most cases involved hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia, with 92.2% of patients receiving it as direct therapy for Pseudomonas.
  • The treatment was tailored based on individual patient needs, with a significant success rate: 60.5% microbiological success and 64.4% clinical success, while only a small percentage experienced adverse effects.
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Background: It is unclear if a local audit would be useful in providing guidance on how to improve local practice of empiric antibiotic therapy. We performed an audit of antibiotic therapy in bacteremia to evaluate the proportion and risk factors for inadequate empiric antibiotic coverage.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with positive blood cultures across 3 hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada during October of 2019.

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Objectives: Ceftobiprole is an advanced-generation cephalosporin with a favourable safety profile. Published data on the clinical use of ceftobiprole are limited. We report use of ceftobiprole in Canadian patients using data captured by the CLEAR registry.

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Background: Diabetic foot is one of the common complications of diabetes mellitus. We report clinical and microbiological characteristics and outcomes of cases with distant metastatic foci of infection arising from diabetic foot.

Methods: Retrospective review of adult patients with diabetic foot infection or diabetic foot ulcer who demonstrated distant metastatic foci of infection between August 2017 and December 2019.

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Lefamulin is a novel oral and intravenous (IV) pleuromutilin developed as a twice-daily treatment for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). It is a semi-synthetic pleuromutilin with a chemical structure that contains a tricyclic core of five-, six-, and eight-membered rings and a 2-(4-amino-2-hydroxycyclohexyl)sulfanylacetate side chain extending from C14 of the tricyclic core. Lefamulin inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S bacterial ribosomal subunit in the peptidyl transferase center (PTC).

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Background: Daptomycin is approved by Health Canada for the treatment of bacteremia and complicated skin and soft tissue infections caused by gram-positive organisms, but is often used for other indications. We aimed to understand the indications, dosing, and safety profile of daptomycin use in a Canadian inpatient setting.

Methods: We included consecutive adult patients who received intravenous daptomycin as inpatients from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, at two tertiary care teaching hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario.

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We correlated antibiotic consumption measured by point prevalence survey with defined daily doses (DDD) across multiple hospitals. Point prevalence survey had a higher correlation (1) with monthly DDDs than annual DDDs, (2) in nonsurgical versus surgical wards, and (3) on high- versus low-utilization wards. Findings may be hospital specific due to hospital differences.

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Background: Many antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) target the intensive care unit owing to high antimicrobial utilisation. In this review, we summarise and assess the quality of evidence supporting the implementation of various ASP strategies in the intensive care unit setting with a focus on publications between 2010 and 2015.

Methods: We searched Medline up to April 2015 and screened publications of interest for additional relevant articles.

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We evaluated symptom documentation for 312 inpatients with bacteriuria by comparing information found in the chart with that obtained prospectively from the medical and nursing team caring for the patient. There was only moderate agreement (κ = 0.55), and only 77% of symptomatic patients had any symptom documented in the chart.

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Background: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) should only be treated in cases of pregnancy or in-patients undergoing urologic procedures; however, unnecessary treatment of ABU is common in clinical practice.

Objective: To identify risk factors for unnecessary treatment and to assess the impact of an educational intervention focused on these risk factors on treatment of ABU.

Design: Quasi-experimental study with a control group.

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