Performance of Four Fosfomycin Susceptibility Testing Methods against an International Collection of Clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates.

Fosfomycin has been shown to have a wide spectrum of activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria; however, breakpoints have been established only for or per the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), respectively. A lack of additional organism breakpoints limits clinical use of this agent and has prompted extrapolation of these interpretive categories to other organisms like without supporting evidence. Further complicating the utility of fosfomycin is the specified method for MIC determination, namely, agar dilution, which is not widely available and is both labor and time intensive.

Duration of Perioperative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation Patients.

Introduction: According to clinical guidelines, there are no differences in early infection rates when utilizing antimicrobial prophylaxis regimens beyond 24 hours. We shortened the prophylaxis regimen from 72 to 24 hours in liver transplant recipients due to rising rates of resistance. The objective of this study is to evaluate the difference in posttransplant outcomes, following the protocol change.

Ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam activity against β-lactam-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales clinical isolates from U.S. medical centres.

Background: Despite availability of ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) and ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) for several years, the individual spectrum of activity of each agent may not be widely known. We compared the activity of C/T and CZA against convenience samples of 119 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales and 60 β-lactam-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates collected from three U.S.

Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Team on Reducing Antiretroviral Medication Errors.

Numerous interventions have been used to reduce medication errors related to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for hospitalized patients with HIV. This study assessed the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) team intervention on reducing the rate of ARV therapy errors in patients admitted to an academic medical center. This observational, retrospective study included patients who received ARV therapy from June 2016 to December 2017.

Safety and Efficacy of Universal Postoperative Decolonization for Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Objectives: Infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality after kidney transplant. Based on the well-documented successes of reducing infections with decolonization of patients in intensive care units, we began a universal immediate posttransplant decolonization program for all kidney transplant recipients. Herein, we report safety and efficacy of this decolonization program.

Oritavancin (Orbactiv): A New-Generation Lipoglycopeptide for the Treatment Of Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections.

Oritavancin (Orbactiv): a new-generation lipoglycopeptide for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

Molecular characterization of β-lactamase genes in clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen which is establishing as a major cause of morbidity and mortality within the healthcare community. The success of this pathogen is largely due to its ability to rapidly gain resistance to antimicrobial therapies and its capability to persist in an abiotic environment through the production of a biofilm. Our tertiary-care hospital has showed high incidence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates.

Activity of minocycline against Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates, with comparison to doxycycline and tigecycline.

We examined the in vitro activity of minocycline against 103 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates and found approximately half had susceptible (26%) or intermediate (26%) MICs. For a subset of 35 isolates, susceptibility was highest to tigecycline (71% FDA vs. 20% EUCAST) followed by minocycline (14%) and then doxycycline (6%).

Association of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with primary allograft survival in HIV-positive kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is an antiretroviral agent frequently used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There are concerns regarding its potential to cause acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and proximal tubulopathy. Although TDF can effectively suppress HIV after kidney transplantation, it is unknown whether use of TDF-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) after kidney transplantation adversely affects allograft survival.

Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship initiative on time to administration of empirical antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients with bacteremia.

Purpose: The impact of an antimicrobial stewardship initiative on time to first antibiotic dose and clinical outcomes in bacteremic patients was evaluated.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted for adult inpatients who received antibiotics before and after implementation of a rapid administration of antimicrobials by an infectious diseases specialist (RAIDS) protocol. Patients admitted to an inpatient service from June to October 2011 (pre-RAIDS protocol) and from December 2011 to February 2012 (post-RAIDS protocol) were eligible for inclusion if (1) they were age 18 years or older, (2) their infection occurred two or more days after hospital admission, and (3) they had a blood culture growing an organism other than common skin contaminants (i.

Critical evaluation of ceftolozane-tazobactam for complicated urinary tract and intra-abdominal infections.

The rise in resistant Gram-negative pathogens continues to challenge clinicians treating infections. These resistant infections have inspired the development of new antimicrobial agents, including ceftolozane-tazobactam, a novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) in combination with metronidazole. Ceftolozane exhibits bactericidal activity by inhibiting penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), with high affinity for PBP1b, PBP1c, and PBP3.

Sofosbuvir: A Nucleotide NS5B Inhibitor for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.

Objective: To review the use of sofosbuvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Data Sources: Review and nonreview articles were identified through MEDLINE (1996-April 2014), citations of articles, and meeting abstracts using keywords, including NS5B polymerase inhibitor, GS-7977, sofosbuvir, direct-acting antiviral (DAA), and others.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: Phase 1, 2, and 3 studies describing dose-ranging potential, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sofosbuvir were identified.

Incidence of Antiretroviral Drug Interactions During Hospital Course: The Role of a Pharmacist-Led Antiretroviral Stewardship Program.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) providers are treating more comorbid conditions with additional pharmacologic agents, resulting in patients with HIV being disproportionately at risk for clinically significant drug-drug interactions (CSDDIs). There is a potential to overlook these interactions and ultimately place patients at risk for drug toxicity, resistance, and virologic failure. To assess the burden of CSDDIs among patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) within 24 hours of admission and to evaluate the effect of a clinical pharmacist operating through an antiretroviral stewardship (ARVSP) program in identifying and correcting potential drug interactions.