Efficacy and safety of isavuconazole against deep-seated mycoses: A phase 3, randomized, open-label study in Japan.

Objectives: Isavuconazole is a convenient triazole antifungal agent with a broad antifungal spectrum. A randomized, open-label study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471988) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of isavuconazole in Japanese patients with deep-seated mycoses.

All-cause mortality rates in adults with carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections: a comprehensive review of pathogen-focused, prospective, randomized, interventional clinical studies.

Introduction: Pathogen-focused, randomized, controlled trials (PF-RCT) are important in the fight against carbapenem-resistant (CR) Gram-negative infections. Some recently approved antibiotics and older generic antibiotics with activity against CR Gram-negative bacteria were investigated in PF-RCTs in a variety of infections.

Areas Covered: We searched Pubmed, Cochrane database and international clinical trial databases for PF-RCTs for the period between 2005 and 2020 and compared the study designs, patient populations, infection types, pathogens, and Day-28 all-cause mortality (ACM).

Efficacy and safety of cefiderocol or best available therapy for the treatment of serious infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CREDIBLE-CR): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, pathogen-focused, descriptive, phase 3 trial.

Background: New antibiotics are needed for the treatment of patients with life-threatening carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections. We assessed the efficacy and safety of cefiderocol versus best available therapy in adults with serious carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections.

Methods: We did a randomised, open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, pathogen-focused, descriptive, phase 3 study in 95 hospitals in 16 countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the surveillance committee of japanese society of chemotherapy, the japanese association for infectious diseases, and the japanese society for clinical microbiology in 2016: General view of the pathogens' antibacterial susceptibility.

The nationwide surveillance on antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens from the patients in Japan was conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2016. The isolates were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections during the period between February 2016 and August 2016 by three societies. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute.

Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis in Human, Japan.

Hemotropic mycoplasmas are common pathogens in animals, but it remains unclear what role these pathogens play in human infections. We report clinical and biologic characterization of Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis infection in a 42-year-old man in Japan. The patient had severe hemophagocytic syndrome 1 month after an accidental needlestick injury.

Daily practice and prognostic factors for pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Japan: A multicenter prospective observational cohort study.

Pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with poor clinical outcomes. We surveyed clinical outcomes of MRSA pneumonia in daily practice to identify risk factors for the clinical failure and mortality in patients with MRSA pneumonia. This multicenter prospective observational study was performed across 48 Japanese medical institutions.

Epidemiology and risk factors for mortality in bloodstream infections: A single-center retrospective study in Japan.

Background: Few published data are available on the morbidity and mortality of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in Japan. We sought to investigate the epidemiology of BSIs, the involvement of antimicrobial resistance, and the factors that influence patient prognosis.

Methods: This single-center study retrospectively evaluated patients who were found to have positive blood cultures at a tertiary teaching hospital between January 2012 and December 2016.

High burden of Aspergillus fumigatus infection among chronic respiratory diseases.

Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) is a ubiquitous fungus in our environment and causes severe airway disorders. Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are a series of chronic airway and lung diseases. Although both are chronic disorders, however, the relationships between AF and CRDs are still unclear.

Serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from adult respiratory tract infections in nationwide Japanese surveillances from 2006 to 2014.

Background And Objective: Reports on the efficacy of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been received from many countries. However, in countries where the 7-valent PCV (PCV7) and 13-valent PCV (PCV13) were introduced, overall coverage of the serotypes by the vaccine gradually decreased due to pneumococcal serotype replacement. The aim of this study is to assess the distribution of pneumococcal serotypes and to also provide basic data on adult respiratory infection in Japan.

Analysis of Staphylococcal Toxins and Clinical Outcomes of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

It is well known that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) produces many virulence factors, such as hemolysins, leukocidins, proteases, enterotoxins, exfoliative toxins, and immune-modulatory factors. The aim of study was to identify staphylococcal pathogenicity that may affect the prognosis of patients with MRSA bacteremia. We obtained 149 MRSA strains from blood cultures between January 2009 and December 2014 in our institution.

Effect of interventions by an antimicrobial stewardship team on clinical course and economic outcome in patients with bloodstream infection.

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) represent one of the most severe and clinically important conditions in the hospital setting. We have organized an interdisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team (AST) at our hospital and performed consultations focusing on BSI patients since 2013. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of AST interventions on the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcomes of BSI patients.

Linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 2006 through 2008 at six hospitals in Japan.

Limited use of linezolid for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection was approved in Japan in 2006. We report here the status of linezolid-resistant MRSAs in Japan. Eleven linezolid-resistant clinical isolates from 11 patients at six hospitals were collected from 2006 through 2008.

More accurate measurement of vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration indicates poor outcomes in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen associated with community-acquired and nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to validate the vancomycin (VAN) minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and administration of VAN that may affect the prognosis of patients with MRSA bacteraemia. In total, 140 clinical MRSA strains from blood cultures were collected from January 2009 to December 2013 at a university hospital in Tokyo (Japan).

Changes in the Distribution of Capsular Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolated from Adult Respiratory Specimens in Japan.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess whether the distribution of pneumococcal capsular types has been changed, while also providing basic data on changes in the distribution after the introduction of Pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV)13 in adult medical practice.

Methods: We analyzed 431 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains (200 in 2006 and 231 in 2012) that had been isolated from respiratory infection specimens from adult patients. Capsular typing was performed by the Quellung reaction and multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

Nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the surveillance committee of Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2010: General view of the pathogens' antibacterial susceptibility.

The nationwide surveillance on antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens from patients in Japan, was conducted by Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases and Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2010. The isolates were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections during the period from January and April 2010 by three societies. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institutes using maximum 45 antibacterial agents.

Correlations between extent of X-ray infiltration and levels of serum C-reactive protein in adult non-severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Pneumonia cases can vary in both severity and chest X-ray findings. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels may be an indicator of disease severity. We retrospectively evaluated factors correlated with the extent of chest X-ray infiltration both in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and a subgroup of cases with pneumococcal pneumonia.

Terminal-stage prognostic analysis in candidemia.

Background: Candidemia has an extremely high mortality rate but is not always the direct cause of death. Therefore, determining the effect of candidemia on death is extremely difficult.

Methods: We investigated prognostic factors in patients with culture-proven candidemia at 2 Japanese university teaching hospitals from April 2009 through May 2013.