Individualized Antimicrobial Therapy using Antibiotic Combination Testing and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring to Treat Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infection.

Treatment of multidrug resistant infections is challenging due to limited therapeutic options. To maximise treatment success of such infections, our infectious disease-trained pharmacists employ a two-pronged approach, using both in vitro antibiotic combination testing and therapeutic drug monitoring, to individualise antibiotic combination regimens for our patients, akin to precision medicine. This approach ensures that the most optimal antibiotic combination and dosing regimens are prescribed for our patients with multidrug resistant infection, to ensure adequate antibiotic exposure and maximal clinical efficacy.

Prophylactic Phage Aerosols for Nosocomial Infection Control in an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Unit: A 4-Year Prospective Study of Temporospatially Designed Phage Cocktails.

Phage-based decontamination has rarely been explored in real-world settings, particularly in the environments of patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This four-year prospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aerosolized phage cocktails tailored to combat target antibiotic-resistant species of Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The decontamination procedure with phage aerosols was proactively implemented before the admission of ECMO patients based on a thorough analysis of phage typing results from bacterial species isolated from prospective patient areas during the preceding two months.

Comparative efficacy of anaerobic digestion systems in removing antimicrobial resistance genes from swine wastewater.

Swine farm wastewater is a major reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Anaerobic digestion (AD), widely implemented in farms, has been extensively studied for ARG removal. However, a comparative study on ARG removal efficiency across the four principal AD systems - up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), buried biogas digester (BBD), and septic tank (SPT) - is lacking.

Detection of OXA-23-producing Proteus mirabilis in Switzerland.

Proteus mirabilis is a Gram-negative bacterium found in the environment and also forms part of the commensal flora in the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and animals. P. mirabilis can cause a wide variety of infections, however it does not harbor any intrinsic β-lactamase genes and as such usually exhibits full susceptibility to β-lactams with the exception of imipenem, to which it is naturally resistant.

Study on the synergistic mechanism of proline in the treatment of high-salt phenolic wastewater by short-time aerobic digestion process.

High salt concentrations pose a significant challenge to the efficiency of activated sludge (AS) in phenolic wastewater treatment. As a cellular osmoprotectant, proline (Pro) has the capacity to increase the salt tolerance of microbes in AS, hence improving the efficiency of phenolic wastewater degradation. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism behind this enhancement remains ambiguous.

Copper induced augmentation of antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii MCC 3114.

Increasing antibiotic resistance among the common nosocomial pathogen i.e. Acinetobacter baumannii poses life threat to the health care workers as well as to the society.

Identifying risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii carriage upon admission: a case-case control study.

Background: Active screening programs and early detection of asymptomatic carriers are effective in preventing carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) dissemination in healthcare facilities. This study aims to identify risk factors associated with CRAB carriage among patients upon admission to an acute care hospital.

Methods: A case-case-control study was conducted at an acute care hospital.

Bacterial contamination of mobile handwashing stations in hospital settings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: As part of the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile handwashing stations (mHWS) were deployed in healthcare facilities in low-resource settings. We assessed mHWS in hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for contamination with Gram-negative bacteria.

Methods: Water and soap samples of in-use mHWS in hospitals in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi were quantitatively cultured for Gram-negative bacteria which were tested for antibiotic susceptibility.

Clinical and metagenomic predicted antimicrobial resistance in pediatric critically ill patients with infectious diseases in a single center of Zhejiang.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to pediatric health; therefore, precise identification of pathogens as well as AMR is imperative. This study aimed at comprehending antibiotic resistance patterns among critically ill children with infectious diseases admitted to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and to clarify the impact of drug-resistant bacteria on the prognosis of children.

Methods: This study retrospectively collected clinical data, identified pathogens and AMR from 113 children's who performed metagenomic next-generation sequencing for pathogen and antibiotic resistance genes identification, and compared the clinical characteristic difference and prognostic effects between children with and without AMR detected.

Tolerance mechanisms and molecular epidemiology of reduced susceptibility to chlorhexidine digluconate in different species of the Acinetobacter baumannii complex.

The objective of this study was to compare chlorhexidine digluconate and other antibiotics susceptibility of 4 species in Acinetobacter baumannii complex, and further investigate the CHG tolerance mechanisms and molecular epidemic characteristics. Of 889 A. baumannii complex isolates, A.

Evaluation of elderly patients with bacteremia in the cardiology intensive care unit.

In this study, the blood culture results of patients aged >65 years who were admitted to the cardiology intensive care unit in a training and research hospital and who had positive blood cultures within the first 48 hours were evaluated. This was a retrospective, observational and nonrandomized study. Patient data at the time of the blood culture were included in the study.

A bacterial methyltransferase that initiates biotin synthesis, an attractive anti-ESKAPE druggable pathway.

The covalently attached cofactor biotin plays pivotal roles in central metabolism. The top-priority ESKAPE-type pathogens, and , constitute a public health challenge of global concern. Despite the fact that the late step of biotin synthesis is a validated anti-ESKAPE drug target, the primary stage remains fragmentarily understood.

represses type VI secretion system through a manganese-dependent small RNA-mediated regulation.

Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is utilized by many Gram-negative bacteria to eliminate competing bacterial species and manipulate host cells. ATCC 17978 utilizes T6SS at the expense of losing pAB3 plasmid to induce contact-dependent killing of competitor microbes, resulting in the loss of antibiotic resistance carried by pAB3. However, the regulatory network associated with T6SS in remains poorly understood.

Genetic profiling of multidrug-resistant from a tertiary care center in Malaysia.

Genetic characterization of multidrug-resistant (MDR) remains scarce in Malaysia. This study aimed to characterize antibiotic resistance, genomic location, and genetic relatedness among the isolates obtained from a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. A total of 128 MDR isolates were collected from patients admitted to various wards (intensive care unit [ICU], neonatal intensive care unit, coronary care unit, high dependency ward [HDW], and general wards).

Comparison of nasopharyngeal bacteriological profile between patients with diabetes and healthy individuals in Accra, Ghana.

Background: The nasopharynx is characterised by a rich microbial diversity, making it an important endogenous reservoir for respiratory infections. People living with diabetes (PLWD) have a high risk for acquisition of respiratory tract infections, but their nasopharyngeal bacterial flora have rarely been investigated.

Aim: To investigate the nasopharyngeal bacterial flora among PLWD and non-diabetics at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Efficiency of combination therapy versus monotherapy for the treatment of infections due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: For resistant Gram-positive bacteria, evidence suggests that combination therapy is more effective. However, for resistant Gram-negative bacteria, no consensus has been reached. This study aims to comprehensively summarize the evidence and evaluate the impact of combination versus monotherapy on infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB).

Acinetobacter indicus coharboring tet(X6) and bla isolated from slaughterhouse waste.

Objectives: Acinetobacter indicus is an important pathogen of nosocomial infection. The purpose of this study was to analyze the resistance and transmission of A. indicus strain AIBD14 isolated from slaughterhouse environment.

Whole genome analysis revealed the role of and genes in carbapenem resistance of strains.

is a multidrug-resistant bacterium that has emerged as a significant nosocomial pathogen globally and renowned for its ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. However, understanding of its resistance mechanisms to certain drug classes remains limited. This study focused on four bacterial strains (AB863, AB889, AB930, and AB960) exhibiting carbapenem resistance.

Genomic insights into drug resistance and virulence determinants in rare pyomelanin-producing clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Purpose: Clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii are a major cause of nosocomial infections, often attributed to the highly adaptable genome that helps it to thrive under environmental selection pressure. Here, we aim to provide genotypic-based surveys and comparative whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis to explore the genomics of the rare pyomelanin-forming clinical isolates of A. baumannii from India.

Effect of colistin-tigecycline combination on colistin-resistant and carbapenem-resistant and .

Unlabelled: There is a critical need for treatment strategies to combat carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. This study investigates the efficacy of combining low concentrations of colistin with tigecycline against colistin- and carbapenem-resistant and strains. We used two strains of KPC-2-producing and OXA-23-producing , both of which are highly colistin-resistant.

Bioprospecting secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties from soil bacteria in high-temperature ecosystems.

Background: The ongoing emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens necessitate urgent solutions. Natural products from bacterial sources are recognized as a promising source of antibiotics. This study aimed to isolate and characterize soil microorganisms from extremely hot environments and to screen their secondary metabolites for antibacterial activity.

A systematic review and meta-analysis show a decreasing prevalence of post-stroke infections.

Background: Infection is a common complication in the acute phase after stroke; a systematic review in 2011 reported a post-stroke infection prevalence of 30%. Despite the plethora of primary data on post-stroke infections in recent times, a systematic review that synthesizes the data to provide comprehensive information to guide preventive, control, and management efforts is yet to be undertaken. This systematic review, therefore, aimed at bridging this gap by describing the epidemiology of post-stroke infections including the global prevalence and the associated mortality rates.

Susceptibility of various Gram-negative bacteria to antibacterial agents: SMART in China 2019-2020.

Background: The Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) is an international surveillance program longitudinally monitoring aerobic and facultative Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) involvement in infections and their antimicrobial resistance profiles. Here the incidence and resistance patterns of Chinese GNB isolates from bloodstream infections (BSI), intraabdominal infections (IAI), respiratory tract infections (RTI) and urinary tract infections (UTI) to commonly used antibacterial agents has been updated. 4,975 GNB isolates collected from 22 hospitals across 7 regions of China from 2019 to 2020 were analyzed.

Seven versus 14 days of antimicrobial therapy for severe multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections in intensive care unit patients (OPTIMISE): a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority clinical trial.

Background: Shorter courses of antimicrobial therapy have been shown to be non-inferior to longer durations for the management of several infections. However, data on critically ill patients with severe infections by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) are scarce. In the duratiOn of theraPy in severe infecTIons by MultIdrug-reSistant gram-nEgative bacteria (OPTIMISE) trial, we assessed the non-inferiority of 7-day versus 14-day antimicrobial therapy for patients with intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired severe infections by MDR-GNB.