A Cohort Study of Risk Factors That Influence Empirical Treatment of Patients with Acute Pyelonephritis

Oral quinolones versus intravenous β-lactam for the treatment of acute focal bacterial nephritis: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Evidence regarding the best antibiotic regimen and the route of administration to treat acute focal bacterial nephritis (AFBN) is scarce. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) β-lactam antibiotics versus oral quinolones.

METHODS

This is a retrospective single centre study of patients diagnosed with AFBN between January 2017 and December 2018 in Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona (Spain). Patients were identified from the diagnostic codifications database. Patients treated with oral quinolones were compared with those treated with IV β-lactam antibiotics. Therapeutic failure was defined as death, relapse, or evolution to abscess within the first 30 days.

RESULTS

A total of 264 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of those, 103 patients (39%) received oral ciprofloxacin, and 70 (26.5%) IV β-lactam. The most common isolated microorganism was Escherichia coli (149, 73.8%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (26, 12.9%). Mean duration of treatment was 21.3 days (SD 7.9). There were no statistical differences regarding therapeutic failure between oral quinolones and IV β-lactam treatment (6.6% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.6). Out of the 66 patients treated with intravenous antibiotics, 4 (6.1%) experienced an episode of phlebitis and 1 patient (1.5%) an episode of catheter-related bacteraemia.

CONCLUSIONS

When susceptible, treatment of AFBN with oral quinolones is as effective as IV β-lactam treatment with fewer adverse events.

Defining the Optimal Duration of Therapy for Hospitalized Patients With Complicated Urinary Tract Infections and Associated Bacteremia

BACKGROUND

Limited data are available to guide effective antibiotic durations for hospitalized patients with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs).

METHODS

We conducted an observational study of patients ≥18 years at 24 US hospitals to identify the optimal treatment duration for patients with cUTI. To increase the likelihood patients experienced true infection, eligibility was limited to those with associated bacteremia. Propensity scores were generated for an inverse probability of treatment weighted analysis. The primary outcome was recurrent infection with the same species ≤30 days of completing therapy.

RESULTS

1099 patients met eligibility criteria and received 7 (n = 265), 10 (n = 382), or 14 (n = 452) days of therapy. There was no difference in the odds of recurrent infection for patients receiving 10 days and those receiving 14 days of therapy (aOR: .99; 95% CI: .52-1.87). Increased odds of recurrence was observed in patients receiving 7 days versus 14 days of treatment (aOR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.40-4.60). When limiting the 7-day versus 14-day analysis to the 627 patients who remained on intravenous beta-lactam therapy or were transitioned to highly bioavailable oral agents, differences in outcomes no longer persisted (aOR: .76; 95% CI: .38-1.52). Of 76 patients with recurrent infections, 2 (11%), 2 (10%), and 10 (36%) in the 7-, 10-, and 14-day groups, respectively, had drug-resistant infections (P = .10).

CONCLUSIONS

Seven days of antibiotics appears effective for hospitalized patients with cUTI when antibiotics with comparable intravenous and oral bioavailability are administered; 10 days may be needed for all other patients.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Urinary Tract Infections in Catalonia, Spain: Protocol for an Observational Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Antibiotic resistance is an individual and public health problem; multidrug-resistant infections could cause an estimated 10 million deaths worldwide by 2050. Unnecessary use of antimicrobials is the most important cause of resistance generation in the community, and an estimated 80% of antimicrobials are prescribed in primary health care, frequently for urinary tract infections (UTIs).

OBJECTIVE

This paper presents the protocol for the first phase of the Urinary Tract Infections in Catalonia (Infeccions del tracte urinari a Catalunya) project. We aim to examine the epidemiology of the different types of UTIs in Catalonia (an autonomous community in Spain) and their diagnostic and therapeutic management by health professionals. Furthermore, we aim to evaluate the correlation between types and total consumption of antibiotics for recurrent UTIs in 2 cohorts of women with the presence and severity of infectious complications of urological origin, especially pyelonephritis and sepsis, and 2 potentially serious infections: pneumonia and COVID-19.

METHODS

The study is a population-based observational cohort study including adults with a diagnosis of UTI registered in the Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care (in Catalan: Sistema d'informació per al desenvolupament de la investigació en atenció primària), the Minimum Basic Data Sets of Hospital Discharges and Emergency Departments (in Catalan: Conjunt mínim bàsic de dades a l'hospitalització d'aguts i d'atenció urgent), and data from the Hospital Dispensing Medicines Register (in Catalan: Medicació hospitalària de dispensació ambulatòria) of Catalonia from the period between 2012 and 2021. We will evaluate the variables obtained from the databases to analyze the proportion of different types of UTIs, the percentage of adequate antibiotic treatments prescribed or received for recurrent UTIs according to the national guidelines, and the proportion of UTIs with complications.

RESULTS

We expect to describe the epidemiology of UTIs in Catalonia from 2012 to 2021, as well as describe the diagnostic and therapeutic management of UTIs by health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

We expect to find a high percentage of UTI cases with inadequate management according to the national guidelines, considering that on many occasions UTIs are treated with second- or third-line antibiotic therapies with a preference for the longest regimens. Furthermore, the use of antibiotic suppressive therapies, or prophylaxis, in recurrent UTIs will likely be highly variable. Moreover, we aim to determine whether women with recurrent UTIs treated with antibiotic suppressive therapies have a higher incidence and severity of potentially serious future infections, with special attention to acute pyelonephritis, urosepsis, COVID-19, and pneumonia, compared to women who receive antibiotic treatment after they present with a UTI. This is an observational study of data from administrative databases that will not allow causality analysis. The limitations of the study will be handled according to the appropriate statistical methods.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

European Union Electronic Register of Post-Authorisation Studies EUPAS49724; https://www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=49725.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/44244.

From Pathophysiological Hypotheses to Case-Control Study Design: Resistance from Antibiotic Exposure in Community-Onset Infections

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern, at least partly due to the misuse of antibiotics. The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infections in the community has shifted at-risk populations into the general population. Numerous case-control studies attempt to better understand the link between antibiotic use and antibiotic-resistant community-onset infections. We review the designs of such studies, focusing on community-onset bloodstream and urinary tract infections. We highlight their methodological heterogeneity in the key points related to the antibiotic exposure, the population and design. We show the impact of this heterogeneity on study results, through the example of extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing Enterobacteriaceae. Finally, we emphasize the need for the greater standardization of such studies and discuss how the definition of a pathophysiological hypothesis specific to the bacteria-resistance pair studied is an important prerequisite to clarify the design of future studies.

Relationship between the appropriateness of antibiotic treatment and clinical outcomes/medical costs of patients with community-acquired acute pyelonephritis: a multicenter prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Inappropriate use of antibiotics not only increases antibiotic resistance as collateral damage but also increases clinical failure rates and medical costs. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription and outcomes of community-acquired acute pyelonephritis (CA-APN).

METHODS

A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted at eight hospitals in Korea between September 2017 and August 2018. All hospitalized patients aged ≥ 19 years who were diagnosed with CA-APN on admission were recruited. The appropriateness of empirical and definitive antibiotics, as well as the appropriateness of antibiotic treatment duration and route of administration, was evaluated in accordance with the guideline and expert opinions. Clinical outcomes and medical costs were compared between patients who were administered antibiotics 'appropriately' and 'inappropriately.'

RESULTS

A total of 397 and 318 patients were eligible for the analysis of the appropriateness of empirical and definitive antibiotics, respectively. Of them, 10 (2.5%) and 18 (5.7%) were administered 'inappropriately' empirical and definitive antibiotics, respectively. Of the 119 patients whose use of both empirical and definitive antibiotics was classified as 'optimal,' 57 (47.9%) received antibiotics over a longer duration than that recommended; 67 (56.3%) did not change to oral antibiotics on day 7 of hospitalization, even after stabilization of the clinical symptoms. Patients who were administered empirical antibiotics 'appropriately' had shorter hospitalization days (8 vs. 10 days, P = 0.001) and lower medical costs (2381.9 vs. 3235.9 USD, P = 0.002) than those who were administered them 'inappropriately.' Similar findings were observed for patients administered both empirical and definitive antibiotics 'appropriately' and those administered either empirical or definitive antibiotics 'inappropriately'.

CONCLUSIONS

Appropriate use of antibiotics leads to better outcomes, including reduced hospitalization duration and medical costs.

Risk Factors for Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Resistance in Community-Onset Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae: The Role of Prior Exposure to Fluoroquinolones

Background: High rates of amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMC) resistance among Enterobacterales isolated from urinary tract infections (UTIs) were observed in our area. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with AMC resistance in patients with community-onset UTI in emergency departments (EDs). Methods: A retrospective study was performed of all ED patients with positive urine cultures for Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Spanish tertiary-care hospital. Results: 330 urine cultures in all were included: 261 (79.1%) for E. coli and 69 (20.90%) for K. pneumonia. Rates of AMC resistance were 14.94% and 34.78%, respectively. UTI was clinically confirmed in 212 (64.24%) cases. Previous antimicrobial exposure was independently associated with AMC resistance development in E. coli and K. pneumoniae urinary isolates (OR = 2.94, 95% CI = 1.55–5.58). Analyses of infected patients revealed that previous exposure to fluoroquinolones (OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.10–10.12, p = 0.034) and to AMC (OR = 5.68, 95% CI = 1.97–16.44, p = 0.001) was significantly associated with isolation of AMC-resistant strains. Conclusions: Prior antibiotic exposure, particularly to AMC or fluoroquinolones, was the only independent risk factor associated with development of AMC resistance in E. coli and K. pneumoniae urinary isolates from patients attending the ED.

Role of asymptomatic bacteriuria on early periprosthetic joint infection after hip hemiarthroplasty. BARIFER randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE

To evaluate preoperative asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) treatment to reduce early-periprosthetic joint infections (early-PJIs) after hip hemiarthroplasty (HHA) for fracture.

METHODS

Open-label, multicenter RCT comparing fosfomycin-trometamol versus no intervention with a parallel follow-up cohort without ASB.

PRIMARY OUTCOME

early-PJI after HHA.

RESULTS

Five hundred ninety-four patients enrolled (mean age 84.3); 152(25%) with ASB (77 treated with fosfomycin-trometamol/75 controls) and 442(75%) without. Despite the study closed without the intended sample size, ASB was not predictive of early-PJI (OR: 1.06 [95%CI: 0.33-3.38]), and its treatment did not modify early-PJI incidence (OR: 1.03 [95%CI: 0.15-7.10]).

CONCLUSIONS

Neither preoperative ASB nor its treatment appears to be risk factors of early-PJI after HHA. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: Eudra CT 2016-001108-47.

Predictive factors for early clinical response in community-onset Escherichia coli urinary tract infection and effects of initial antibiotic treatment on early clinical response

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common disease. It often requires hospitalization, and severe presentations, including sepsis and other complications, have a mortality rate of 6.7%-8.7%.

AIM

To evaluate the predictive factors for early clinical response and effects of initial antibiotic therapy on early clinical response in community-onset Escherichia coli (E. coli) urinary tract infections (UTIs).

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted at Wonkwang University Hospital in South Korea between January 2011 and December 2017. Hospitalized patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who were diagnosed with community-onset E. coli UTI were enrolled in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 511 hospitalized patients were included. 66.1% of the patients had an early clinical response. The mean length of hospital stay in patients with an early clinical response were each 4.3 d shorter than in patients without an early clinical response. In the multiple regression analysis, initial appropriate antibiotic therapy (OR = 2.449, P = 0.006), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli (OR = 2.112, P = 0.044), improper use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials (OR = 0.411, P = 0.006), and a stay in a healthcare facility before admission (OR = 0.562, P = 0.033) were the factors associated with an early clinical response. Initial broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was not associated with an early clinical response.

CONCLUSION

ESBL producing E. coli, and the type of residence before hospital admission were the factors associated with an early clinical response. Appropriateness of initial antibiotic therapy was a predictive factor for an early clinical response, but broad-spectrum of initial antibiotic therapy did not impact early clinical response.

Efficacy and safety of levofloxacin as a treatment for complicated urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis

INTRODUCTION

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common causes of sepsis presenting to hospitals. Treating complicated UTIs is extremely important due to their potential mortality. Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibacterial that has become one of the cornerstones of antibiotic therapy of complicated UTIs and pyelonephritis since its introduction in the 1990s because of its exceptional pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profile. However, the emergence of widespread fluoroquinolone resistance over the past decade has prompted investigators to reexamine its place in the treatment of UTI.

AREAS COVERED

This literature review summarizes data about the efficacy and the tolerability of levofloxacin in treating complicated UTIs and pyelonephritis.

EXPERT OPINION

In the early 2000s, fluoroquinolones became the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the US. Since then, the resistance rate of Escherichia coli to fluoroquinolones has increased, largely hampering the use of this class of drugs. These data, in association with emerging data about inappropriate prescription and toxicity, have limited its clinical use. For these reasons, a judicious use of levofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones and a careful implementation of infection control procedures are the main available tools for the management of UTIs and pyelonephritis.

Change in the Annual Antibiotic Susceptibility of Escherichia coli in Community-Onset Urinary Tract Infection between 2008 and 2017 in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Korea

The susceptibility of Escherichia coli from community onset urinary tract infection (UTI) was evaluated by dividing community onset UTI into the simple community acquired-UTI (CA-UTI) and healthcare associated UTI (HCA-UTI) groups for a period of 10 years. The susceptibility of E. coli to most antibiotics, except amikacin and imipenem, continued to decrease. In the CA-UTI group, the susceptibility to cefotaxime was 88% in 2015, but rapidly decreased to 79.3% in 2017. The susceptibility to cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam were 88.8% and 90.5% in 2017, respectively. In the HCA-UTI group, the susceptibility to most antibiotics markedly decreased to less than 60% by 2017. The incidence of ESBL-producing E. coli increased to 23.3% in the CA-UTI group in 2017.

Ceftolozane/tazobactam for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections: current perspectives and place in therapy

The current prevalence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms is a global threat, and thus, the development of new antimicrobial agents with activity against these pathogens is a healthcare priority. Ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) is a new combination of a cephalosporin with a β-lactamase inhibitor that shows excellent in vitro activity against a broad spectrum of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) strains and MDR or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa. In phase III randomized clinical trials, C/T demonstrated similar efficacy to meropenem for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) and superior efficacy to levofloxacin for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including pyelonephritis. The drug is generally safe and well tolerated and its PK/PD profile is very favorable. Observational studies with C/T have revealed good efficacy for the treatment of different types of infection caused by MDR or XDR P. aeruginosa, including some that originated from the digestive or urinary tracts. The place of C/T in therapy is not well defined, but its use could be recommended in a carbapenem-sparing approach for the treatment of infections caused by ESBL-producing strains or for the treatment of infections caused by P. aeruginosa if there are no other more favorable therapeutic options. Further clinical experience is needed to position this new antimicrobial drug for the empirical treatment of cIAIs or cUTIs.

Active surveillance of antimicrobial resistance

The magnitude of the impact of antibiotic resistance (AR) is now well recognised. Implementation of measures for its control is essential, but for them to be efficacious and cost-effective, they must be guided by prior knowledge of the problem that is as up-to-date, real and complete as possible. However, the current scale of AR is difficult to quantify due to the wide heterogeneity of data collection, the existence of large gaps in surveillance capacity and its deficient coordination. Therefore, it is necessary to structure holistic, integrative and high-quality AR surveillance systems that allow the early analysis of combined data (micro-biological, clinical, epidemiological data) from different sources (humans, foods, animals and environment) to guide decision making for the control of AR. Some of the main characteristics that a structure of this scale should have are: a multidisciplinary consensus on protocols, criteria and techniques; the combination and coordination of different approaches seeking to fill possible gaps in surveillance; the deve lopment of a global antibiotic policy that allows and facilitates the existence of common, updated and accessible surveillance systems; the use of agile and compatible computer systems that allow a «real time» dump in common databases; and political involvement to include monitoring of AR in the political agenda and to commit the necessary resources. Supplement information: This article is part of a supplement entitled «SEIMC External Quality Control Programme. Year 2016», which is sponsored by Roche, Vircell Microbiologists, Abbott Molecular and Francisco Soria Melguizo, S.A. © 2019 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosasy Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Selection of an appropriate empiric antibiotic regimen in hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis

Background

Empiric antibiotic therapy for suspected hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis (HVO) should be initiated immediately in seriously ill patients and may be required in those with negative microbiological results. The aim of this study was to inform the appropriate selection of empiric antibiotic regimens for the treatment of suspected HVO by analyzing antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated bacteria from microbiologically proven HVO.

Method

We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients with microbiologically proven HVO in five tertiary-care hospitals over a 7-year period. The appropriateness of empiric antibiotic regimens was assessed based on the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of isolated bacteria.

Results

In total, 358 cases of microbiologically proven HVO were identified. The main causative pathogens identified were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (33.5%), followed by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (24.9%), Enterobacteriaceae (19.3%), and Streptococcus species (11.7%). Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and anaerobes accounted for only 1.7% and 1.4%, respectively, of the causative pathogens. Overall, 73.5% of isolated pathogens were susceptible to levofloxacin plus rifampicin, 71.2% to levofloxacin plus clindamycin, and 64.5% to amoxicillin-clavulanate plus ciprofloxacin. The susceptibility to these oral combinations was lower in cases of healthcare-associated HVO (52.6%, 49.6%, and 37.6%, respectively) than in cases of community-acquired HVO (85.8%, 84.0%, and 80.4%, respectively). Vancomycin combined with ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, or cefepime was similarly appropriate (susceptibility rates of 93.0%, 94.1%, 95.8%, and 95.8%, respectively).

Conclusions

Based on our susceptibility data, vancomycin combined with a broad-spectrum cephalosporin or fluoroquinolone may be appropriate for empiric treatment of HVO. Fluoroquinolone-based oral combinations may be not appropriate due to frequent resistance to these agents, especially in cases of healthcare-associated HVO.