ICYMI: Top ID/Stewardship Journal Articles Released In June 2019

Here we identify new infectious diseases & antimicrobial stewardship literature published in June 2019. We hope if you find this helpful, you will share it with others!

Written By: Bassam Ghanem, Pharm.D., MS, BCPS

Edited By: Timothy P. Gauthier, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID

[Last updated: 1 July 2019]

In this monthly column two pharmacists who utilize Twitter to stay current with antimicrobial stewardship literature (@ABsteward [B.G.] & @IDstewardship [T.G.]) identify some of the top hot off the press articles recently published.

The following are some of the new publications we found most interesting or noteworthy that were released in June of 2019…

1. The Emperor’s New Clothes: Prospective Observational Evaluation of the Association between Initial Vancomycin Exposure and Failure Rates among Adult Hospitalized Patients with MRSA Bloodstream Infections (PROVIDE) | CID

https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciz460/5510260?redirectedFrom=fulltext

This prospective, multicenter observational study of hospitalized adults with MRSA bacteremia treated with vancomycin found that higher vancomycin exposures did not confer a lower treatment failure (TF) risk but were associated with more acute kidney injury (AKI). Patients with day-2 AUC < 515 experienced the best global outcomes (no TF and no AKI).

2. Solithromycin versus ceftriaxone plus azithromycin for the treatment of uncomplicated genital gonorrhoea (SOLITAIRE-U): a randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial| LANCET

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1473309919301161#!

The SOLITAIRE-U was a randomized controlled trial that found Solithromycin as a single 1000 mg dose did not reach the non-inferiority margin compared to ceftriaxone plus azithromycin for the treatment of gonorrhoea.

3. High-dose ceftriaxone for bacterial meningitis: optimization of administration scheme based on nomogram | AAC

https://aac.asm.org/content/early/2019/06/18/AAC.00634-19

This Population PK study in adult patients treated with high doses of ceftriaxone (above 4g or 75 mg/kg per day) for bacterial meningitis suggested that ceftriaxone administration scheme and posology should be adapted to eGFR and the weight.

4. Procalcitonin to distinguish viral from bacterial pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis | CID

https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciz545/5523199?redirectedFrom=fulltext

This meta-analysis found that a procalcitonin level is unlikely to provide reliable evidence either to mandate administration of antibiotics or to enable withholding such treatment in patients with CAP.

5. Benzylpenicillin versus flucloxacillin for penicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections from a large retrospective cohort study | IJAA

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924857919301372

This large observational cohort study found a significant association between flucloxacillin use and all-cause mortality in PSSA bacteraemia when compared to benzylpenicillin.

6. Comparative effectiveness of exclusive exposure to nafcillin or oxacillin, cefazolin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and fluoroquinolones among a national cohort of Veterans with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection | OFID

https://academic.oup.com/ofid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ofid/ofz270/5512320?searchresult=1

This national retrospective cohort study found that no difference in mortality was observed between nafcillin/ oxacillin and cefazolin or fluoroquinolones in hospitalized patients with MSSA bacteremia. However, higher mortality was observed with piperacillin/tazobactam as compared with nafcillin/ oxacillin/ cefazolin and similar when compared with fluoroquinolones.