A pilot randomized controlled trial of 7 versus 14 days of antibiotic treatment for bloodstream infection on non-intensive care versus intensive care wards

Characterization of Prescribing Practices for Uncomplicated Streptococcal and Enterococcal Bacteremias: The NARRATE Study

Background

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) rank among the top causes of death in North America. Despite the prevalence of these infections, there remain significant practice variations in the prescribing of antibiotics.

Objective

To investigate current prescribing practices for management of uncomplicated streptococcal and enterococcal BSIs.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using charts for patients admitted to an acute care centre in British Columbia between November 16, 2019, and October 20, 2020. Adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) with a diagnosis of uncomplicated streptococcal or enterococcal BSI were included. Patients were excluded if they had polymicrobial bacteremia or deep-seated infection or had been admitted for no more than 48 hours. The primary outcomes were duration of antibiotic therapy (IV and oral) and time to appropriate oral therapy for treatment of BSI. The secondary outcomes were observed rates of re-initiation of antibiotics and readmission with recurrent BSI. Descriptive statistics were calculated and regression analysis was performed for the primary and secondary outcomes.

Results

A total of 96 patients met the inclusion criteria. The median total duration of therapy for uncomplicated streptococcal and enterococcal BSI was about 2 weeks. Streptococcus pneumoniae BSIs were associated with a significantly shorter duration of IV therapy and were more likely to be associated with transition to oral antibiotics. No recurrent BSIs were observed in patients for whom therapy was transitioned to oral antibiotics.

Conclusions

Further study is warranted to explore shorter duration of antibiotic therapy and transition to oral therapy as treatment approaches for uncomplicated streptococcal and enterococcal BSI. Other outcomes of interest for future research include determining the optimal time for transition to oral therapy.

Ten golden rules for optimal antibiotic use in hospital settings: the WARNING call to action

Antibiotics are recognized widely for their benefits when used appropriately. However, they are often used inappropriately despite the importance of responsible use within good clinical practice. Effective antibiotic treatment is an essential component of universal healthcare, and it is a global responsibility to ensure appropriate use. Currently, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to develop new antibiotics due to scientific, regulatory, and financial barriers, further emphasizing the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. To address this issue, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery established an international multidisciplinary task force of 295 experts from 115 countries with different backgrounds. The task force developed a position statement called WARNING (Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance National/International Network Group) aimed at raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance and improving antibiotic prescribing practices worldwide. The statement outlined is 10 axioms, or "golden rules," for the appropriate use of antibiotics that all healthcare workers should consistently adhere in clinical practice.

Non-inferiority trial of a shorter (7 days) compared with a longer (14 days) duration of antimicrobial therapy for the treatment of bacteraemic urinary sepsis, measured by microbiological success after the completion of therapy: a substudy protocol for the Bacteraemia Antibiotic Length Actually Needed for Clinical Effectiveness (BALANCE) multicentre randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

The BALANCE study is a randomised clinical trial (3626 participants) designed to assess the non-inferiority of 7 days (short-course) antibiotic therapy compared with 14 days of therapy for bacteraemia using the pragmatic endpoint of 90-day survival. Based on pilot study data, approximately 30% of enrolees will have a urinary tract infection (UTI) as the source of bacteraemia.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We aim to assess the non-inferiority of short-course antibiotic therapy for patients with bacteraemia UTIs.Participating sites in four countries will be invited to join this substudy. All participants of this substudy will be enrolled in the main BALANCE study. The intervention will be assigned and treatment administered as specified in the main protocol.We will include participants in this substudy if the probable source of their infection is a UTI, as judged by the site principal investigator, and they have a urine microscopy and culture indicative of a UTI. Participants will be excluded if they have an ileal loop, vesicoureteric reflux or suspected or confirmed prostatitis.The primary outcome is the absence of a positive culture on a test-of-cure urine sample collected 6-12 days after cessation of antimicrobials, with a non-inferiority margin of 15%. Secondary outcomes include the clinical resolution of infection symptoms at test-of-cure.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved in conjunction with the main BALANCE study through the relevant ethics review process at each participating site. We will disseminate the results through the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, the Association for Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Canada Clinical Research Network (AMMI Canada CRN) and other collaborators.

UNIVERSAL TRIAL NUMBER

U1111-1256-0874.

MAIN BALANCE TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03005145.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Australian Clinical Trial Register: ACTRN12620001108909.

Duration of antibiotic treatment for Gram-negative bacteremia - Systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

We aim to compare the effect of short versus long treatment duration in Gram-negative bacteremia on all-cause mortality in pre-specified sub-groups.

METHODS

Individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing short (≤7) versus longer (>7 days) antibiotic treatment for Gram-negative bacteremia. Participants were adults (≥18 years), with Gram-negative bacteremia during hospital stay. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science to identify trials conducted up to May 2022. Primary outcome was 90-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality, relapse of bacteremia, length of hospital stay, readmission, local or distant infection complications, adverse events, and resistance emergence.Outcomes were assessed in pre-specified subgroups: women vs men; non-urinary vs urinary source; presence vs absence of hypotension on initial presentation; immunocompromised patients versus non-immunocompromised patients, and age (above/below 65). Fixed-effect meta-analysis model was used to estimate pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). All three trials had low risk of bias for allocation generation and concealment.

FINDINGS

Three RCTs (1186 patients) were included; 1121 with enterobacterales bacteremia. No significant difference in mortality was demonstrated between 7- and 14-days treatment (90-day mortality: OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.73-1.58; 30-day mortality: 1.08, 0.62-1.91). Relapse (1.00, 0.50-1.97); length of hospital stay (P = 0.78); readmission (0.96, 0.80-1.22); and infection complications (local: 1.62 0.76-3.47; distant: 2.00, 0.18-22.08), were without significant difference, and so were adverse events or resistance emergence.No significant difference in clinical outcomes between 7 and 14 days of antibiotics was demonstrated in the subgroups of gender, age, hemodynamic status, immune status, and source of infection.

INTERPRETATION

For patients hemodynamically stable and afebrile at 48 h prior to discontinuation, seven days of antibiotic therapy for enterobacterales bacteremia result in similar outcomes as 14 days, in terms of mortality, relapse, length of hospital stay, complications of infection, resistance emergence, and adverse events. These results apply for any adult age group, gender, source of infection, immune status, and hemodynamic status on presentation.

FUNDING

There was no funding source for this study.

OUP accepted manuscript

Background

Trials supporting shorter durations of antibiotic therapy for Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GN-BSI) have recently been published. However, adoption of these findings into practice is unclear given limited eligibility criteria and relatively large non-inferiority margins of these studies. To better understand contemporary management of GN-BSI, we conducted an international survey of infectious diseases (ID) specialists.

Methods

We developed and disseminated an online survey to assess practice patterns involving treatment duration of GN-BSI, including providers from 28 countries. χ² tests, t-tests and multivariable linear regression with generalized estimating equations were used to identify factors associated with treatment duration.

Results

In total, 277 ID specialists completed the survey (64% physicians, 31% pharmacists). The median reported duration of antibiotics was 7 days (IQR, 7–10 days) for all GN-BSI sources. Thirty percent of providers typically recommend durations that differ by ≥7 days depending on the source of GN-BSI, and 71% treat ≥10 days for at least one source. In an adjusted model, factors associated with increased duration included intra-abdominal (+1.01 days, 95% CI 0.57–1.45 days; P < 0.0001), vascular catheter (+0.74 days; 0.33–1.15 days; P = 0.0004), and respiratory (+0.76 days; 0.38–1.14 days; P < 0.0001) sources of GN-BSI relative to urinary sources. Providers that transition patients to oral therapy report shorter durations than those who treat with full IV therapy (−0.60 days; −1.12 to −0.09 days; P = 0.02).

Conclusions

There is extensive heterogeneity in duration of therapy for treating GN-BSI, particularly with respect to source of GN-BSI. Investigations into appropriate treatment durations for different GN-BSI sources are needed.

Bacteremia Antibiotic Length Actually Needed for Clinical Effectiveness (BALANCE) randomised clinical trial: study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Bloodstream infections are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity; the duration of treatment for these infections is understudied.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will conduct an international, multicentre randomised clinical trial of shorter (7 days) versus longer (14 days) antibiotic treatment among hospitalised patients with bloodstream infections. The trial will include 3626 patients across 60 hospitals and 6 countries. We will include patients with blood cultures confirming a pathogenic bacterium after hospital admission. Exclusion criteria will include patient factors (severe immunosuppression), infection site factors (endocarditis, osteomyelitis, undrained abscesses, infected prosthetic material) and pathogen factors (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Candida and contaminant organisms). We will leave the selection of specific antibiotics, doses and route of delivery to the discretion of treating physicians; no placebo control will be used given the diversity of pathogens and sources of bacteraemia. The intervention will be assignment of treatment duration to be 7 versus 14 days. We will minimise selection bias via central randomisation with variable block sizes, with concealed allocation until day 7 of adequate antibiotic treatment. The primary outcome is 90-day survival; we will test whether 7 days is non-inferior to 14 days of treatment, with a non-inferiority margin of 4% absolute mortality. Secondary outcomes include hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, relapse rates of bacteraemia, hospital and ICU length of stay, mechanical ventilation and vasopressor duration, antibiotic-free days, Clostridium difficile infection, antibiotic allergy and adverse events and colonisation/infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the ethics review board at each participating site. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is the central ethics committee. We will disseminate study results via the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group and other collaborating networks to set the global paradigm for antibiotic treatment duration for non-staphylococcal Gram-positive, Gram-negative and anaerobic bacteraemia, among patients admitted to hospital.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

The BALANCE (Bacteremia Antibiotic Length Actually Needed for Clinical Effectiveness) trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (registration number: NCT03005145).