Effectiveness and safety of an institutional aminoglycoside-based regimen as empirical treatment of patients with pyelonephritis

[Antibiotic prescribing practice in urological departments in Germany: results of a cross-sectional study]

BACKGROUND

The patterns and intensity of inpatient antibiotic prescribing vary according to medical specialty.

OBJECTIVES

Analysis of recent data on antibiotic use density in hospital departments of urology in Germany.

METHODS

Annual surveillance data of 107 departments for the period 2022/2023 were evaluated. We used a daily dose definition adapted for adult hospitalized patients (recommended daily doses, RDD), and 100 patient days as the denominator (RDD/100).

RESULTS

The overall median antibiotic use density was 71 RDD/100 with a wide range between 15.9 and 138.7 RDD/100 but no significant differences according to hospital size. Fluoroquinolones (median 6.0 RDD/100) were prescribed as the fourth most frequent antibiotic class after broad-spectrum cephalosporins (median 16.2 RDD/100), aminopenicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations (median 10.8 RDD/100), and broad-spectrum penicillins (piperacillin-tazobactam and piperacillin) (median 8.9 RDD/100). The ratio between penicillin and cephalosporin RDD per hospital ranged from 6:94 to 98:2 (overall 52:48). The proportion of aminoglycosides (< 1%) and parenteral fosfomycin (< 0.1%) was very small. Cotrimoxazole (median 4.0 RDD/100) was less frequently prescribed than fluoroquinolones. The proportion of oral agents was 44.7% overall, with only small differences according to hospital size. Oral fosfomycin, pivmecillinam, nitrofurantoin, and nitroxoline were much less frequently prescribed than oral beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones, and cotrimoxazole.

CONCLUSION

The overall antibiotic use density in urological hospital departments varied substantially in 2022/2023. Beta-lactam antibiotics were the most frequently used antibiotics, while fluoroquinolones (often as oral agents) continued to be prescribed with a large range similar to overall antibiotic use and independent of hospital size. Inpatient prescribing of the agents recommended and typically used for uncomplicated cystitis was rare. Penicillins and cotrimoxazole should more often be considered as the treatment option. Aminoglycosides and parenteral fosfomycin should be discussed in cases of otherwise drug-resistant pathogens.

Amikacin treatment in patients with Enterobacterales bacteraemia: impact of MIC on mortality

BACKGROUND

Recently, breakpoints of Enterobacterales to amikacin were changed from MIC ≤ 16 mg/L to MIC ≤ 4 mg/L based mainly on laboratory data with little supporting clinical evidence. Our aim was to investigate the relation between MIC of Enterobacterales to amikacin and mortality among patients with Enterobacterales bacteraemia from a urinary tract source treated with amikacin.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective, single-centre study included patients with Enterobacterales urinary source bacteraemia treated with amikacin, with Low (MIC ≤ 4 mg/L) and High (MIC 8 or 16 mg/L) MICs. A cohort of patients treated with ertapenem was used to assess if amikacin MIC is a marker of severity independent of antimicrobial treatment. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to assess risk factors for mortality.

RESULTS

We included 85 patients, 46 (54.1%) were male, and mean age was 79.0 years (SD 11.7). Sixty-one patients (71.8%) had Low MIC and 24 (28.2%) had High MIC. Thirty-day mortality was 8.2% and 29.2% in the Low and High MIC groups, respectively (P = 0.031). Risk factors for 30-day mortality were age, infection by Enterobacterales other than Escherichia coli and high amikacin MIC. In a cohort of 88 patients treated with ertapenem, amikacin MIC was not associated with 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated a relation between higher amikacin MIC levels (8 and 16 mg/L) and increased 30-day mortality in patients treated with amikacin for bacteraemia secondary to a urinary source. These findings support the new CLSI breakpoint change of Enterobacterales to amikacin.

A review of recent advances in the treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infection

INTRODUCTION

Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) entail diverse clinical conditions that could be managed differently and not necessarily with premature empiric therapy. Since multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are widely spreading worldwide, the possibility of encountering these resistant bacteria is inevitably part of the daily life of physicians who manage cUTIs.

AREAS COVERED

The advances in the management of cUTIs are explored, illustrating: 1) a proposed therapeutical approach to cUTIs within the antimicrobial stewardship context; 2) evidence regarding novel antibiotics targeting MDROs. Evidence research has been performed through MEDLINE/PubMed using appropriate keywords and terms regarding cUTIs published before June 2022.

EXPERT OPINION

Novel antimicrobial drugs are available in the clinicians' armamentarium. Selecting the optimal therapy for suitable patients may be challenging given the multifaceted group of cUTIs. Carbapenems use is widely increasing, the role of old β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors is constantly revised, and novel drugs lack real-life studies. Understanding the different ranges of the complexity of patients affected by cUTIs may help select the most suitable antibiotic for every single case. More multicentric observational studies targeting cUTIs are needed to elucidate the appropriate drug based on patient characteristics and presentations, providing stronger recommendations for cases encountered in everyday clinical practice.

Short- and long-term mortality in patients with urosepsis caused by Escherichia coli susceptible and resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins

Background

The aim of this study was to compare short- and long-term mortality among patients with urosepsis caused by Escherichia coli susceptibile (EC-SC) and resistant (EC-RC) to 3rd generation cephalosporins.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study that included all patients with E. coli urosepsis admitted to a 700-bed hospital from January 2014 until December 2019. Mortality up to 30 days, 6 months and 1 year was assessed using logistic multivariate regression analysis and Cox regression analysis.

Results

A total of 313 adult were included, 195 with EC-SC and 118 patients with EC-RC. 205 were females (74%), mean age was 79 (SD 12) years. Mean Charlson score was 4.93 (SD 2.18) in the EC-SC group and 5.74 (SD 1.92) in the EC-RC group. Appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy was initiated in 245 (78.3%) patients, 100% in the EC-SC group but only 42.5% in the EC-RC group. 30-day mortality occurred in 12 (6.3%) of EC-SC group and 15 (12.7%) in the EC-RC group. Factors independently associated with 30-day mortality were Charlson score, Pitt bacteremia score, fever upon admission and infection with a EC-RC. Appropriate antibiotic therapy was not independently associated with 30-day mortality. Differences in mortality between groups remained significant one year after the infection and were significantly associated with the Charlson co-morbidity score.

Conclusions

Mortality in patients with urosepsis due to E. coli is highly affected by age and comorbidities. Although mortality was higher in the EC-RC group, we could not demonstrate an association with inappropriate empirical antibiotic treatment. Mortality remained higher at 6 months and 1 year long after the infection resolved but was associated mainly with co-morbidity.