A phase 3 randomized double-blind comparison of ceftobiprole medocaril versus ceftazidime plus linezolid for the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia

New antibiotics against gram-positives: present and future indications

Gram-positive cocci are the most frequent aetiology of community and nosocomially bacterial acquired infections. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant gram-positive bacteria is increasing and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. New antibiotics will be available in the European market during the next months. This revision is focused on lipoglycopeptides, new cephalosporins active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the new oxazolidinone, tedizolid. The purpose of this review is to describe their in vitro activity, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics, and experience from clinical trials.

Ventilator associated pneumonia in the ICU: where has it gone?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To highlight the clinical importance of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in an era of escalating antimicrobial resistance.

RECENT FINDINGS

VAP continues to be an important infection in the critically ill. The development of rapid microbiologic diagnostics and new antimicrobial agents offer opportunities for improved treatment strategies for VAP balancing the need to treat effectively in a timely manner and antimicrobial stewardship. Additionally, the new surveillance definitions for assessing the quality of care in critically ill patients (ventilator-associated events, ventilator-associated conditions, and infection-related ventilator-associated conditions) do not appear to be adequate surrogates for the identification of VAP.

SUMMARY

Clinicians caring for critically ill patients should be aware of the importance of correctly treating VAP. As new diagnostic technologies and antimicrobials become available for VAP, their incorporation into routine patient management should occur in a way that optimizes patient outcomes wherein minimizing further emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Ceftaroline fosamil for the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia

OBJECTIVES

Ceftaroline fosamil is a novel cephalosporin with bactericidal activity against common pathogens associated with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Ceftaroline is inactive against extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing or AmpC-overexpressing Enterobacteriaceae and has limited activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CAPTURE is a multicenter, retrospective study designed to collect information on contemporary clinical use of ceftaroline fosamil in the USA. Data on off-label use of ceftaroline fosamil for the treatment of patients with HAP/VAP between September 2013 and March 2014 are presented.

METHODS

Data were collected at participating study centers by randomized selection and review of patients' charts, and included patients' demographics, disease characteristics, pathogens isolated, antibiotic treatment and clinical outcomes. Patients receiving at least four consecutive doses of ceftaroline fosamil, with data available for determination of clinical cure, comprised the evaluable population. Clinical success was defined as either clinical cure with no further need for antibiotics treatment, or clinical improvement with a switch to another antibiotic.

RESULTS

A total of 40 patients were evaluated: 27 with HAP and 13 with VAP. Demographics for patients with HAP and VAP were similar (59% male, mean age of 63 years and 54% male, mean age of 58 years, respectively). The clinical success rates were 75% overall, 82% in patients with HAP and 62% in patients with VAP. Clinical success rates for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated were 58% in patients with HAP and 57% in patients with VAP. Ceftaroline fosamil was used as a second-line therapy in majority of patients (85%) with clinical success rates of 79% similar to the published literature.

CONCLUSION

The CAPTURE study data support further evaluation of ceftaroline fosamil as an effective treatment option for HAP and VAP when a ceftaroline susceptible etiologic pathogen is identified, including MRSA, or as a concurrent therapy when resistant Gram-negative pathogens are suspected.

Vancomycin in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - a clinician's guide to the science informing current practice

Clinicians treating an infection assess a patient in terms of disease manifestation, causative organism and available antibiotic options with the aim of devising a therapeutic strategy under the creed of 'first, do no harm'. It is often only when treatment is failing or options are limited, as in the scenario of multidrug-resistant organisms, that consideration is given to the interplay that occurs between the microbe and the host. The emergence of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin provides a prime example of these dynamic interactions. This review shall explore these concepts in relation to vancomycin for the treatment of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, with the aim of providing an informed approach to the utilization of this drug.

Ceftobiprole medocaril: a review of its use in patients with hospital- or community-acquired pneumonia

Ceftobiprole, the active metabolite of the prodrug ceftobiprole medocaril (Zevtera(®)), is a new generation broad-spectrum intravenous cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Ceftobiprole exhibits potent in vitro activity against a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens associated with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). It is the first cephalosporin monotherapy approved in the EU for the treatment of both HAP (excluding ventilator associated-pneumonia [VAP]) and CAP. In phase III trials, ceftobiprole medocaril was noninferior, in terms of clinical cure rates at the test-of-cure visit, to ceftazidime plus linezolid in patients with HAP and to ceftriaxone ± linezolid in patients with CAP severe enough to require hospitalization. In patients with HAP, noninferiority of ceftobiprole medocaril to ceftazidime plus linezolid was not demonstrated in a subset of patients with VAP. In patients with CAP, ceftobiprole medocaril was effective in those at risk for poor outcomes (pneumonia severity index ≥91, Pneumonia Patient Outcomes Research Team score IV-V or bacteraemic pneumonia). In the phase III trials, ceftobiprole medocaril was generally well tolerated, with ≈10 % of patients discontinuing the treatment because of adverse events. The most common treatment-related adverse events occurring in ceftobiprole recipients in the trials in patients with HAP or CAP included nausea, diarrhoea, infusion site reactions, vomiting, hepatic enzyme elevations and hyponatraemia. Therefore, ceftobiprole medocaril monotherapy offers a simplified option for the initial empirical treatment of patients with HAP (excluding VAP) and in those with CAP requiring hospitalization.

Optimizing antibiotic therapy of bacteremia and endocarditis due to staphylococci and enterococci: new insights and evidence from the literature

Gram-positive cocci are a well-recognised major cause of nosocomial infection worldwide. Bloodstream infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci, and multi-drug resistant enterococci are a cause of concern for physicians due to their related morbidity and mortality rates. Aim of this article is to review the current state of knowledge regarding the management of BSI caused by staphylococci and enterococci, including infective endocarditis, and to identify those factors that may help physicians to manage these infections appropriately. Moreover, we discuss the importance of an appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs, taking in consideration the in vitro activity, clinical efficacy data, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters, and potential side effects.

Antibiotic Management of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus–Associated Acute Pulmonary Exacerbations in Cystic Fibrosis

Objective: To review the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)–associated acute pulmonary exacerbations (APEs) in cystic fibrosis (CF). Data Sources: A search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Clinicaltrials.gov databases through November 2014 was conducted using the search terms Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, pulmonary exacerbations, and cystic fibrosis. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language research articles, case reports, and case series were evaluated. A total of 185 articles were identified related to MRSA and CF; 30 articles that studied treatments of MRSA APE in CF were included. Data Synthesis: The persistent presence of MRSA in the respiratory tract of patients with CF has been associated with higher morbidity and an increased risk of death. Limited clinical data exist supporting the efficacy of any specific antimicrobial currently available for the treatment of APE secondary to MRSA. Conclusions: Data extrapolated from other populations suggest that vancomycin and linezolid are appropriate first-line treatment options for the treatment of APE secondary to MRSA. Second-line options include doxycycline or minocycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, each of which may be useful in patients coinfected with other respiratory pathogens, for which they may provide overlapping coverage. Ceftaroline and ceftobiprole are newer antibiotics that appear to have a potential role in the treatment of APE in CF, but the latter is not currently available to the US market. Although potentially useful, clindamycin is limited by high rates of resistance, telavancin is limited by its toxicity profile, and tigecycline is limited by a lack of demonstrated efficacy for infections that are similar to that seen in the CF population. Studies investigating the clinical utility of the above-cited antibiotics for APE in CF secondary to MRSA are desperately needed to broaden the treatment armamentarium for this medical condition.

High dose of tigecycline for extremely resistant Gram-negative pneumonia: yes, we can

Few antimicrobials are currently active to treat infections caused by extremely resistant Gram-negative bacilli (ERGNB), which represent a serious global public health concern. Tigecycline, which covers the majority of these ERGNB (with the exception of Pseudomonas aeruginosa), is not currently approved for hospital-acquired pneumonia, and several meta-analyses have suggested an increased risk of death in patients receiving this antibiotic. Other studies suggest that the use of high-dose tigecycline may represent an alternative in daily practice. De Pascale and colleagues report that the clinical cure rate in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia is significantly higher with a high dose of tigecycline than with the conventional dose, although mortality was unaffected. This high dose is safe; no patients required discontinuation or dose reduction.