Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy for bone and joint infections: an italian multicenter study

A Review of the Clinical Utilization of Oral Antibacterial Therapy in the Treatment of Bone Infections in Adults

Chronic osteomyelitis in adults is managed with prolonged courses of intravenous antibiotics in conjunction with surgical debridement of necrotic bone. Over the past 40 years, there has been no paradigm shift in this approach, as randomized controlled trials of this standard of care compared to alternatives such as prolonged oral antibiotics are scarce. However, there have been many small trials, case reports, and review papers evaluating the effectiveness of oral treatment for chronic osteomyelitis. The oral route for infections requiring prolonged treatment is intuitively and practically more favorable due to several advantages, the most important of which is the avoidance of long-term IV antimicrobial therapy with its complications, inconvenience, and cost. In this paper, we review the literature evaluating oral antibiotic therapy in the management of chronic bone infections since 1975. The majority of osteomyelitis infections are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, hence we focus on its treatment using oral antibiotics; however, we also emphasize subpopulations of patients with diabetes, implanted hardware, and with less common bacterial organisms. The primary objective of this review is to promulgate clinical recommendations on the use of oral antibiotics in bone infections in the context of initial therapy, transition from intravenous therapy, and the role of chronic suppression. The secondary objective is to summarize current knowledge of the specific oral antimicrobial agents that are commonly utilized, together with a synopsis of the available literature pertaining to their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties and duration of therapy in bone infection.

2022 SPILF - Clinical Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of disco-vertebral infection in adults

These guidelines are an update of those made in 2007 at the request of the French Society of Infectious Diseases (SPILF, Société de Pathologie Infectieuse de Langue Française). They are intended for use by all healthcare professionals caring for patients with disco-vertebral infection (DVI) on spine, whether native or instrumented. They include evidence and opinion-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with DVI. ESR, PCT and scintigraphy, antibiotic therapy without microorganism identification (except for emergency situations), therapy longer than 6 weeks if the DVI is not complicated, contraindication for spinal osteosynthesis in a septic context, and prolonged dorsal decubitus are no longer to be done in DVI management. MRI study must include exploration of the entire spine with at least 2 orthogonal planes for the affected level(s). Several disco-vertebral samples must be performed if blood cultures are negative. Short, adapted treatment and directly oral antibiotherapy or early switch from intravenous to oral antibiotherapy are recommended. Consultation of a spine specialist should be requested to evaluate spinal stability. Early lifting of patients is recommended.

Orthopaedic Implant-Associated Staphylococcal Infections: A Critical Reappraisal of Unmet Clinical Needs Associated with the Implementation of the Best Antibiotic Choice

Infections associated with orthopaedic implants represent a major health concern characterized by a remarkable incidence of morbidity and mortality. The wide variety of clinical scenarios encountered in the heterogeneous world of infections associated with orthopaedic implants makes the implementation of an optimal and standardized antimicrobial treatment challenging. Antibiotic bone penetration, anti-biofilm activity, long-term safety, and drug choice/dosage regimens favouring outpatient management (i.e., long-acting or oral agents) play a major role in regards to the chronic evolution of these infections. The aim of this multidisciplinary opinion article is to summarize evidence supporting the use of the different anti-staphylococcal agents in terms of microbiological and pharmacological optimization according to bone penetration, anti-biofilm activity, long-term safety, and feasibility for outpatient regimens, and to provide a useful guide for clinicians in the management of patients affected by staphylococcal infections associated with orthopaedic implants Novel long-acting lipoglycopeptides, and particularly dalbavancin, alone or in combination with rifampicin, could represent the best antibiotic choice according to real-world evidence and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties. The implementation of a multidisciplinary taskforce and close cooperation between microbiologists and clinicians is crucial for providing the best care in this scenario.

The Impact of a Standardized Discharge Process on 30-Day Readmissions for Patients on Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Treatment

Introduction: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment (OPAT) is associated with shorter length of hospital stay and reduced cost. Yet, patients discharged home on OPAT are at risk of hospital readmissions due to adverse events and complications. Although the impact of a multidisciplinary approach to readmission has been assessed by previous studies, addition of an innovative technology has not been evaluated for OPAT. This study examines the impact of a multidisciplinary approach including automated voice calls on 30-day readmissions of OPAT patients. Methods: A post-discharge transitional care process (PDTCP) targeting OPAT patients was implemented in fall 2016. This process included an automated telephone patient engagement service and coordination among pharmacy, nursing, medicine, and social work personnel. The patients on OPAT received automated telephone calls at 2, 9, 16, 28, and 40 days post-discharge to ensure medication availability and adherence and to circumvent issues that would otherwise result in an emergency room visit or readmission to the hospital. Results: A total 429 voice calls were made to 148 patients from November 8, 2016 to February 28, 2019. Overall, 61% (n = 90/148) of the patients were successfully reached by the automated voice system. The patients who were reached by the automated voice system were less likely to be readmitted than those not reached (18.9% vs 41.4%; relative risk (RR) 0.46, 95% CI 0.27-0.77, P = .003). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that a multidisciplinary approach involving the use of automated telephone calls was associated with decreased hospital readmissions.

[Cost analysis of inpatient versus outpatient intravenous antibiotic treatment for periprosthetic joint infections : A simulation]

Hintergrund

Die parenterale Antibiotikagabe im Rahmen der Therapie von periprothetischen Infektionen erfordert in der Regel eine stationäre Behandlung und geht mit hohen Kosten einher.

Fragestellung

Es wurden tatsächliche stationäre Behandlungskosten („inpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy“ [IPAT]) mit simulierten Kosten einer ambulanten Behandlung („outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy“ [OPAT]) von Patienten mit periprothetischen Gelenkinfektionen verglichen. Die Auswertung erfolgte aus Perspektive der Kostenträger (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung [GKV]) und Leistungserbringer (Krankenhäuser).

Material und Methoden

Die Analyse und Simulation erfolgten auf Grundlage einer ICD-10 (Internationale statistische Klassifikation der Krankheiten und verwandter Gesundheitsprobleme, 10. Revision) für das Behandlungsjahr 2015 mit der Diagnose T84.

Ergebnisse

Die simulierte Reduktion von 159 Bettentagen bei den in die Studie eingeschlossenen 12 Patienten erbrachte aus Sicht der Kostenträger eine Reduktion der Gesamtkosten um >18.000 €. Aus Perspektive der Leistungserbringer verbesserte sich der Reinerlös um >22.000 €. Die Gesamtkosten der OPAT für den Kostenträger beliefen sich auf >57.000 €. Für den Leistungserbringer zeigte sich in der Differenz von Poliklinikerlös und -kosten der OPAT ein Verlust von >1500 €.

Diskussion

Die OPAT ist für Leistungserbringer insgesamt finanziell vorteilhaft. Weitere Vorteile durch Opportunitätskosten erscheinen interessant. Für den Kostenträger ist die OPAT insbesondere durch die ambulanten Medikamentenkosten mit einem finanziellen Mehraufwand verbunden. Der niedergelassene Sektor sollte durch die anzunehmende Mehrbelastung ebenso wie der anzunehmende Patientenkomfort bedacht werden.

Facing multidrug-resistant pathogens in periprosthetic joint infections with self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy-A prospective cohort study

A key factor in the successful management of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) besides the surgical regime is a consistent antimicrobial therapy. Recently, oral versus intravenous (IV) antibiotics for bone and joint infection trial demonstrated the noninferiority of oral antimicrobial therapy compared to IV, implying that an early transition to oral administration is reasonable. It is likely that the international consensus meeting of musculoskeletal Infections and the European Bone and Joint Infection Society will consider these findings. However, rising levels of antimicrobial resistance are challenging and recommendations for dealing with multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens resistant to oral antibiotics are lacking. This study focuses on establishing guidance towards their management in PJI. From December 2015 to June 2019, patients with MDR pathogens were included in a single-center prospective cohort study and treated with self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (S-OPAT) based on a two-stage revision strategy. Demographics, pathogens, antimicrobial agents, and outcomes were recorded. A total of 1738 outpatient days in 26 patients were analyzed. The incidence of pathogens resistant to oral antibiotics in PJI was 4%, most frequently encountered were staphylococcus epidermidis. The Kaplan-Meier-estimated infection-free survival after 3 years was 90% (95% confidence interval, 84.6%-95.5%). We recorded adverse events in 6 of 54 (11%) S-OPAT episodes (3.45/1000 S-OPAT days). (i) S-OPAT in two-stage revision arthroplasty to counter increasing numbers of MDR pathogens resistant to oral agents can achieve a high infection eradication rate and (ii) should therefore be taken into account at the next society's consensus treatment updates.

Calculated parenteral initial treatment of bacterial infections: Bone and joint infections

This is the 10^th chapter of the guideline “Calculated initial parenteral treatment of bacterial infections in adults – update 2018” in the 2^nd updated version. The German guideline by the Paul-Ehrlich-Gesellschaft für Chemotherapie e.V. (PEG) has been translated to address an international audience.

This chapter deals with bacterial Infections of bones, joints and prosthetic joints. One of the most pressing points is that after an initial empirical therapy a targeted antimicrobial which penetrates well to the point of infection and is tolerated well over the usually long duration of the therapy is chosen.

Clinical outcomes of teicoplanin use in the OPAT setting

Teicoplanin possesses several convenient properties for use in the delivery of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services. However, its use is not widespread and data on its efficacy in the OPAT setting are limited. Here we present a case series of patients undergoing OPAT care being treated by either teicoplanin-based (n = 107) or ceftriaxone-based (n = 191) antibiotic regimens. Clinical failure with teicoplanin occurred in five episodes of care (4.7%) compared with only two episodes of ceftriaxone-based OPAT care (1.0%). Teicoplanin-associated clinical failure was observed in 2 (33.3%) of 6 patients with Enterococcus infections compared with 3 (3.0%) of 101 patients with non-Enterococcus infections. Overall, there were four (2.9%) drug-related adverse events for teicoplanin and four (1.8%) for ceftriaxone, prompting a switch to teicoplanin in three patients. These findings support the continued use of teicoplanin in OPAT as well as its consideration in centres where it is not currently being offered.

Cost-analysis of inpatient and outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy in orthopaedics: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Increasing numbers of total joint arthroplasties and consecutive revision surgery are associated with the risk of periprosthetic joint infections (PPJI). Treatment of PPJI is complex and associated with immense socio-economic burden. One treatment aspect is parenteral antiinfective therapy, which usually requires an inpatient setting [Inpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (IPAT)]. An alternative is outpatient parenteral treatment [Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT)]. To conduct a health economic cost-benefit analysis of OPAT, a detailed cost analysis of IPAT and OPAT is required. So far, there is a lack of knowledge on the health economic effects of IPAT and OPAT for PPJI.

AIM

To review an economic comparison of IPAT and OPAT.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was performed through Medline following the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Of 619 identified studies, 174 included information of interest and 21 studies were included for quantitative analysis of OPAT and IPAT costs. Except for one study, all showed relevant cost savings for OPAT compared to IPAT. Costs for IPAT were between 1.10 to 17.34 times higher than those for OPAT.

CONCLUSION

There are only few reports on OPAT for PPJI. Detailed analyses to support economic or clinical guidelines are therefore limited. There is good clinical evidence supporting economic benefits of OPAT, but more high quality studies are needed for PPJI.

Pharmacotherapy options and drug development in managing periprosthetic joint infections in the elderly

INTRODUCTION

Prosthetic joint infections are an increasingly important problem among patients undergoing arthroplasty procedures, and are associated with significant morbidity, reduced quality of life, substantial healthcare costs, and even mortality. Arthroplasties are performed with increasing frequency in elderly patients, who present specific problems.

AREAS COVERED

Surgical therapy is clearly influenced by the clinical status of the patient, which in some case can contraindicate surgery. Antibiotic selection is also affected by comorbidities and underlying diseases, which in some cases reduce therapeutic options. The authors review this together with the changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in the elderly population and the prospects for future research on prevention and treatment.

EXPERT OPINION

The management of PJI in the elderly makes multidisciplinary teams even more mandatory than in other patients, because the complexity of these patients. A frequent scenario is that in which surgery is contraindicated with long-term suppressive treatment as the only available option. Treating physicians must consider the presence of multiple comorbidities, interactions with other treatments and secondary effects when choosing antibiotic treatment. An in-depth knowledge of the alterations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in elderly patients is key for a proper treatment selection.

OPAT: proof of concept in a peripheral Belgian hospital after review of the literature

Since its introduction in the 1970s in the United States, outpatient parenteral antibiotic/antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) has been adopted internationally for long-term intravenous (IV) treatment of stable infectious diseases. The aim is to provide a safe and successful completion of IV antimicrobial treatment at the ambulatory care center or at home without complications and costs associated with hospitalization. OPAT implementation has been accelerated by progress in vascular access devices, newly available antibiotics, the emphasis on cost-savings, as well as an improved patient comfort and a reduced incidence of health care associated infections with a similar outcome. OPAT utilization is supported by an extensive published experience and guidelines of the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and the Infectious Diseases Society of America for adults as well as for children. Despite these recommendations and its widespread adoption, in Belgium OPAT is only fully reimbursed and established for cystic fibrosis patients. Possible explanations for this unpopularity include physician unfamiliarity and a lack of uniform funding arrangements with higher costs for the patient. This article aims to briefly review benefits, risks, indications, financial impact for supporting OPAT in a non-university hospital as standard of care. Our experience with OPAT at the ambulatory care center of our hospital and its subsequent recent introduction in the home setting is discussed.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness, safety and acceptability of community intravenous antibiotic service models: CIVAS systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate evidence of the efficacy, safety, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) models.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, National Health Service (NHS) Economic Evaluation Database (EED), Research Papers in Economics (RePEc), Tufts Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) Registry, Health Business Elite, Health Information Management Consortium (HMIC), Web of Science Proceedings, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy website. Searches were undertaken from 1993 to 2015.

STUDY SELECTION

All studies, except case reports, considering adult patients or practitioners involved in the delivery of OPAT were included. Studies combining outcomes for adults and children or non-intravenous (IV) and IV antibiotic groups were excluded, as were those focused on process of delivery or clinical effectiveness of 1 antibiotic over another. Titles/abstracts were screened by 1 reviewer (20% verified). 2 authors independently screened studies for inclusion.

RESULTS

128 studies involving >60 000 OPAT episodes were included. 22 studies (17%) did not indicate the OPAT model used; only 29 involved a comparator (23%). There was little difference in duration of OPAT treatment compared with inpatient therapy, and overall OPAT appeared to produce superior cure/improvement rates. However, when models were considered individually, outpatient delivery appeared to be less effective, and self-administration and specialist nurse delivery more effective. Drug side effects, deaths and hospital readmissions were similar to those for inpatient treatment, but there were more line-related complications. Patient satisfaction was high, with advantages seen in being able to resume daily activities and having greater freedom and control. However, most professionals perceived challenges in providing OPAT.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no systematic differences related to the impact of OPAT on treatment duration or adverse events. However, evidence of its clinical benefit compared with traditional inpatient treatment is lacking, primarily due to the dearth of good quality comparative studies. There was high patient satisfaction with OPAT use but the few studies considering practitioner acceptability highlighted organisational and logistic barriers to its delivery.

Diagnostic and therapeutic appropriateness in bone and joint infections: results of a national survey

The impact of infectious diseases (ID) specialist consultation in the management of many types of bacterial infections has been fully demonstrated but not for bone and joint infections (BJIs). Nineteen ID Italian centres collected of data from June 2009 to May 2012. Italian guidelines (2009) were used to determine the appropriateness of the diagnostic and therapeutic process of BJIs before and after consulting an ID specialist. Data on 311 patients were collected: 111 cases of prosthetic joint infection, 99 osteomyelitis, 64 spondylodiscitis and 37 fixation device infection. A significant increase of microbiological investigations, imaging techniques and blood inflammation markers were noted after consulting the ID specialist. Moreover, inappropriateness of treatment duration, dosage, and number of administrations significantly decreased after consultation. Infectious disease specialist intervention in the management of BJIs significantly increases the appropriateness both in performing instrumental and laboratory analysis, but especially in determining the correct therapy.

The Community IntraVenous Antibiotic Study (CIVAS): a mixed-methods evaluation of patient preferences for and cost-effectiveness of different service models for delivering outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy

Background

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is widely used in most developed countries, providing considerable opportunities for improved cost savings. However, it is implemented only partially in the UK, using a variety of service models.

Objectives

The aims of this research were to (1) establish the extent of OPAT service models in England and identify their development; (2) evaluate patients’ preferences for different OPAT service delivery models; (3) assess the cost-effectiveness of different OPAT service delivery models; and (4) convene a consensus panel to consider our evidence and make recommendations.

Methods

This mixed-methods study included seven centres providing OPAT using four main service models: (1) hospital outpatient (HO) attendance; (2) specialist nurse (SN) visiting at home; (3) general nurse (GN) visiting at home; and (4) self-administration (SA) or carer administration. Health-care providers were surveyed and interviewed to explore the implementation of OPAT services in England. OPAT patients were interviewed to determine key service attributes to develop a discrete choice experiment (DCE). This was used to perform a quantitative analysis of their preferences and attitudes. Anonymised OPAT case data were used to model cost-effectiveness with both Markov and simulation modelling methods. An expert panel reviewed the evidence and made recommendations for future service provision and further research.

Results

The systematic review revealed limited robust literature but suggested that HO is least effective and SN is most effective. Qualitative study participants felt that different models of care were suited to different types of patient and they also identified key service attributes. The DCE indicated that type of service was the most important factor, with SN being strongly preferred to HO and SA. Preferences were influenced by attitudes to health care. The results from both Markov and simulation models suggest that a SN model is the optimal service for short treatment courses (up to 7 days). Net monetary benefit (NMB) values for HO, GN and SN services were £2493, £2547 and £2655, respectively. For longer treatment, SA appears to be optimal, although SNs provide slightly higher benefits at increased cost. NMB values for HO, GN, SN and SA services were £8240, £9550, £10,388 and £10,644, respectively. The simulation model provided useful information for planning OPAT services. The expert panel requested more guidance for service providers and commissioners. Overall, they agreed that mixed service models were preferable.

Limitations

Recruitment to the qualitative study was suboptimal in the very elderly and ethnic minorities, so the preferences of patients from these groups might not be represented. The study recruited from Yorkshire, so the findings may not be applicable nationally.

Conclusions

The quantitative preference analysis and economic modelling favoured a SN model, although there are differences between sociodemographic groups. SA provides cost savings for long-term treatment but is not appropriate for all.

Future work

Further research is necessary to replicate our results in other regions and populations and to evaluate mixed service models. The simulation modelling and DCE methods used here may be applicable in other health-care settings.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Service and Delivery Research programme.

Monitoring of Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy and Implementation of Clinical Pharmacy Services at a Community Hospital Infusion Unit

BACKGROUND

In 2004, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) published monitoring guidelines for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT), but no assessment of their utilization has been reported. We evaluated adherence to these recommendations by physicians at infusion centers and then piloted a program of supervision of monitoring by pharmacists.

METHODS

Phase I: We performed a retrospective case-control study of patients who received OPAT over 1 year at 2 hospital infusion centers. Controls were patients treated by an infectious diseases (ID) physician, and cases were those without an ID physician. Patients were excluded if they received fewer than 3 days of OPAT. Clinical pharmacy monitoring services were then implemented for patients on OPAT prescribed by non-ID physicians at 1 hospital's infusion unit. Two outcomes were measured: adherence to guidelines on monitoring and attainment of goal vancomycin and aminoglycoside serum concentrations when appropriate. The results for non-ID physicians were compared to both ID physicians and subsequently a pharmacist.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine patients were included in the retrospective study. Compared with patients who had ID physician supervision, the non-ID physicians who prescribed OPAT for 39 patients had lower adherence to monitoring recommendations (35.9% vs 68.3%, P = .003). No difference could be detected in achievement of goal vancomycin and aminoglycoside serum concentrations for the 14 cases and 19 controls requiring therapeutic drug monitoring (57.1% vs 68.4%, respectively, P = .765). Seven patients were enrolled in the study after pharmacy monitoring was implemented. Adherence to monitoring recommendations for these patients was significantly improved compared to the prior patients who lacked ID physician supervision (35.9% vs 100%, P = .0065).

CONCLUSION

Non-ID physicians are less likely to monitor OPAT according to the IDSA guidelines than ID physicians; however, pharmacist oversight improves adherence to recommendations. Further studies of monitoring of OPAT by pharmacists should investigate the impact of pharmacist involvement on prevention of adverse events and hospital readmissions.

Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy: principles and practice

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) refers to the administration of a parenteral antimicrobial in a non inpatient or ambulatory setting with the explicit aim of facilitating admission avoidance or early discharge. Whilst OPAT has predominantly been the domain of the infection specialist, the internal medicine specialist has a key role in service development and delivery as a component of broader ambulatory care initiatives such as "hospital at home". Main drivers for OPAT are patient welfare, reduction of risk of health care associated infection and cost-effective use of hospital resources. The safe practice of OPAT is dependent on a team approach with careful patient selection and antimicrobial management with programmed and adaptable clinical monitoring and assessment of outcome. Gram-positive infections, including cellulitis, bone and joint infection, bacteraemia and endocarditis are key infections potentially amenable to OPAT whilst resistant Gram-negative infections are of increasing importance. Ceftriaxone, teicoplanin, daptomycin and ertapenem lend themselves well to OPAT due to daily (or less frequent) bolus administration, although any antimicrobial may be administered if the patient is trained to administer and/or an appropriate infusion device is employed. Clinical experience from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is presented to illustrate the key principles of OPAT as practised in the UK. Increasingly complex patients with multiple medical needs, the relative scarcity of inpatient resources and the broader challenge of ambulatory care and "hospital at home" will ensure the internal medicine specialist will have a key role in the future development of OPAT.

Considerations of antibiotic therapy duration in community- and hospital-acquired bacterial infections

Despite the large number of suggestions available in the literature, the optimal duration of antibiotic treatment remains an individual decision mainly based on clinical criteria. Shorter but equally effective regimens would reduce the side effect rates, including both antibiotic resistance and drug expenses. Although several prospective, randomized trials and meta-analyses with the aim of comparing a standard duration with a shorter one for most bacterial infections have been published, to date most current recommendations carry little weight, as they are based on expert opinions or practical experience. This review will briefly touch upon the clinical evidence of short-course versus long-course antibiotic therapy for the most common community- and hospital-acquired bacterial infections.

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy with ceftriaxone, a review

BACKGROUND

More than 30 years since it was developed for clinical use, the third-generation cephalosporin ceftriaxone remains the most commonly used agent for outpatient parental antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Recent antimicrobial stewardship programmes have tended to restrict ceftriaxone use in hospitals to control antibiotic resistance and outbreaks of Clostridium difficle infection (CDI). Considering the expansion of OPAT programmes both in the UK and worldwide, revisiting the role of ceftriaxone in OPAT in the context of changing antimicrobial prescribing practices is timely.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

To identify the evidence base for OPAT, review current and historical data on indications for, and safety of ceftriaxone within the OPAT setting, and to provide some perspectives on the future role of ceftriaxone.

METHOD

We searched PubMed and Scopus for articles published in English, and hand searched reference lists. We also conducted a complementary descriptive analysis of prospectively acquired data on the use of ceftriaxone in more than 1,300 OPAT episodes over a 10-year period in our UK centre.

RESULTS

Ceftriaxone has an excellent safety profile in the OPAT setting, and its broad spectrum of activity makes it an established agent in a wide range of clinical infection syndromes, such as skin and soft-tissue infection, bone and joint infection, streptococcal endocarditis and several others. Intriguingly, in contrast to the inpatient setting, liberal use of ceftriaxone in OPAT has not been strongly linked to CDI, suggesting additional patient and environmental factors may be important in mediating CDI risk.

Systemic antimicrobial therapy in osteomyelitis

Appropriately designed antibiotic regimens are critical to the management of all stages of osteomyelitis, although goals of therapy may vary in different stages of infection. The most important consideration for antibiotic selection is spectrum of action. Route of administration by intravenous or oral route is less important than drug levels that are achievable at the site of infection. Outpatient parenteral therapy and use of oral agents has simplified delivery of long-term treatment regimens. There are few high-quality studies that compare specific treatment regimens or durations of therapy, and recommendations for drugs and duration of antibiotic therapy are based on expert opinion, case series, and extrapolations from animal models. Intravenous beta-lactams are the treatment of choice for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, but there are also oral options available. Vancomycin has been the treatment of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis, but there are several newer parenteral and oral agents for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus including linezolid and daptomycin. Rifampin combined with other staphylococcal agents may increase cure rates, especially for device-associated infections. Oral fluoroquinolones and parenteral beta-lactam agents can be used for treatment of gram-negative osteomyelitis, but increasing resistance has complicated management of these infections.

Bacillus species infective arthritis after knee arthroscopy

BACKGROUND

Bacillus species infection of the joints is a very rare occurrence, with sporadic reports in the medical literature.

CASE REPORT

A 67-year-old woman with osteoarthritis developed infection in the knee joint after arthroscopy. Percutaneous needle aspiration of articular fluid performed post-operatively showed a positive culture for Bacillus species. The diagnosis of septic arthritis was, however, not confirmed as the results were considered contamination. Failure of treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics on two occasions and successful cure of infective arthritis by long-term administration of a fluoroquinolone confirmed iatrogenic clinical joint infection with Bacillus species.

CONCLUSION

Any clinically suspected joint infection must be treated as septic arthritis until proved otherwise.

Consensus document on controversial issues in the diagnosis and treatment of prosthetic joint infections

BACKGROUND

Joint replacement surgery has been on the increase in recent decades and prosthesis infection remains the most critical complication. Many aspects of the primary prevention and clinical management of such prosthesis infections still need to be clarified.

CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

The aim of this GISIG (Gruppo Italiano di Studio sulle Infezioni Gravi) working group - a panel of multidisciplinary experts - was to define recommendations for the following controversial issues: (1) Is a conservative surgical approach for the management of prosthetic joint infections effective? (2) Is the one-stage or the two-stage revision for the management of prosthetic joint infections more effective? (3) What is the most effective treatment for the management of prosthetic joint infections due to methicillin-resistant staphylococci? Results are presented and discussed in detail.

METHODS

A systematic literature search using the MEDLINE database for the period 1988 to 2008 of randomized controlled trials and/or non-randomized studies was performed. A matrix was created to extract evidence from original studies using the CONSORT method to evaluate randomized clinical trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for case-control studies, longitudinal cohorts, and retrospective studies. The GRADE method for grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendation was applied.

Maximizing positive outcomes for patients with staphylococcal infections

Maximizing positive outcomes for serious Gram-positive infections, such as those caused by Staphylococcus species, requires an aggressive treatment approach. Although specific approaches will depend upon many factors, the underlying common strategy should recognize the positive contribution of minimizing complications and inpatient treatment duration and the efficient use of healthcare resources, while also focusing on rapid resolution of infection and safety and tolerability. To advance the standard of care for patients, we need to utilize therapies that enable such a range of factors to be improved. Treatment guidelines are useful to establish evidence-based standards of care, but they are updated infrequently and there is currently no pan-European consensus for the treatment of staphylococcal infections. With the benefit of the clinical experience that has been acquired for the most recently licensed antibiotics, together with an appreciation of the appropriate usage of older agents, there are good prospects for achieving positive outcomes earlier and in a greater range of patients with staphylococcal infections, and treatment guidelines should be updated regularly to reflect this.

Patients with prosthetic joint infection on IV antibiotics are at high risk for readmission

Due to the rise in prosthetic joint implantations, prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are increasing. Most PJI are treated outside the hospital setting via community-based parenteral antiinfective therapy (CoPAT) after initial surgical management, although little is reported about the short-term complications of CoPAT. We therefore ascertained the numbers of unanticipated readmissions, unplanned surgeries, and CoPAT complications within 12 weeks of hospital discharge in patients with PJI on CoPAT. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 74 patients with PJI. Twenty-seven (73% of readmitted patients) were for unanticipated reasons within 12 weeks of hospital discharge; 16 (43% of readmitted) underwent an unplanned surgery. Nine patients (12% of total cohort) had CoPAT-related adverse events. Our data suggest patients with PJI on CoPAT represent a complex cohort that needs to be monitored closely for complications early after hospital discharge.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, therapeutic study.

Comparison of the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of daptomycin in healthy adult volunteers following intravenous administration by 30 min infusion or 2 min injection

OBJECTIVES

Two randomized Phase I studies in separate populations of healthy adult volunteers investigated the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of daptomycin (Cubicin; Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland) administered as a 2 min intravenous (iv) injection, relative to the currently licensed 30 min iv infusion.

METHODS

Study 1 was an open-label, single-dose, two-period, crossover study in which each subject received 6 mg/kg daptomycin administered as a 30 min iv infusion (n = 15) and as a 2 min iv injection (n = 16). In Study 2, a single-blind, multiple-dose, parallel-group study, subjects received a once-daily 2 min iv injection of 6 mg/kg daptomycin (n = 12), 4 mg/kg daptomycin (n = 8) or placebo (n = 4) for 7 days. Single-dose pharmacokinetics were assessed at various timepoints up to 36 and 24 h post-dose in Study 1 and Study 2, respectively, and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics were assessed in Study 2 at day 7 for 48 h post-dose.

RESULTS

In Study 1, pharmacokinetic comparability between the two administration regimens was demonstrated by meeting the bioequivalence criteria for the exposure parameters, AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity) and C(max). In Study 2, time-invariant pharmacokinetic properties as well as dose-proportional pharmacokinetics were demonstrated for the daptomycin 2 min iv injection regimen. In both studies, daptomycin was well tolerated and the majority of treatment-emergent adverse events were of mild intensity and considered to be unrelated to daptomycin.

CONCLUSIONS

The similar pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of the two administration regimens suggest that the 2 min iv injection may be a convenient treatment option for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Prosthetic joint infections: microbiology, diagnosis, management and prevention

Infections associated with prosthetic joints occur less frequently than aseptic failures but represent the most devastating complication, with high morbidity and substantial cost. The most important risk factors are co-morbidity and prior joint replacement (revision surgery). No single routinely used clinical or laboratory test has been shown to achieve ideal sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Therefore, only the sum of clinical signs and symptoms, blood tests, histopathology, radiography, bone scans and a microbiological work-up can provide an accurate diagnosis. Antimicrobial therapy must always be combined with the correct surgical treatment, which is chosen according to the duration of the infection and co-morbidities of the patient. This review will briefly discuss the microbiology, diagnosis, management and prevention of PJI.