Optimizing Antibiotic Treatment Strategies for Neonates and Children: Does Implementing Extended or Prolonged Infusion Provide any Advantage?

Continuous versus intermittent infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics: where do we stand today? A narrative review

Introduction

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is among the greatest threats to global healthcare. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2050 ten million deaths will be attributed to AMR annually. In response, the WHO has implemented antibiotic stewardship programs which focus on optimizing antibiotic use and raise, amongst others, the issue of the preferred method of intravenous antibiotic administration. Various studies have attempted to answer this question with conflicting results.

Review

This review examined several studies assessing extended/continuous infusion compared to intermittent infusion of three beta-lactams: piperacillin-tazobactam, cefepime, and meropenem. The findings and conclusions of each study were summarized and compared to one another to provide a general overview of the current evidence.

Conclusions

We conclude that continuous/extended infusion showed a greater clinical benefit in highly critical cases, namely sepsis and febrile neutropenia, compared to intermittent infusion. Additionally, in cases where a pathogen was identified, continuous/extended infusion showed superiority. Nonetheless, high-quality studies with larger samples are needed to demonstrate the difference between these two modes of infusion in a way that would better inform guidelines and policies, aiding in the fight against AMR.

Risk Factors of Neonatal Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Based on the Montreux Definition in Neonates with Sepsis: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to analyze the risk factors for neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (NARDS) development based on the Montreux definition among near- and full-term neonates with sepsis and received meropenem.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a single-center, case-control, retrospective trial from January 2019 to June 2020. Newborns of gestational ages (GAs) ≥35 weeks, diagnosed with sepsis and received meropenem were included. Patients who developed NARDS subsequently were defined as the study group (NARDS group), while the others without NARDS were enrolled in the control group (non-NARDS group).

RESULTS

Out of 213 eligible neonates, NARDS occurred in 52 (24.4%) cases. In univariate analysis, infants with NARDS had a lower GA and birth weight, but a higher rate of premature birth (p <0.05). The median onset times of sepsis were earlier among neonates with NARDS compared with those without NARDS (1 [1,1] vs. 6 [1,15] days, p <0.001). Neonates with NARDS were more likely to suffer from early-onset sepsis (EOS), persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborns, pulmonary hemorrhage, septic shock, and patent ductus arteriosus (p <0.05). During labor, women whose neonates experienced NARDS were more likely to have a cesarean delivery (67.3 vs. 46.6%, p = 0.009) and likely to receive at least one dose of corticosteroids (21.2 vs. 5.0%, p = 0.001). In multivariable analyses, factors remaining independently associated with NARDS were premature birth, cesarean delivery, EOS, and septic shock. Compared with conventional inflammatory markers for NARDS, procalcitonin (PCT) was correlated with septic neonates who developed NARDS (p = 0.012) but had a low diagnostic value (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.609). C-reactive protein, white blood cells, and PLT did not correlate with morbidity of NARDS (AUC <0.05 and p >0.05).

CONCLUSION

Premature birth, cesarean delivery, EOS, and septic shock were independently associated with NARDS among near- and full-term septic neonates. PCT showed limited predictive value for NARDS.

KEY POINTS

· NARDS is serious and sepsis is proved as a cause for it.. · But rare study suggests the risk factors of NARDS based on the Montreux definition.. · This study may first found the independent risk factors associated with NARDS in septic neonates..

Extended Infusion of Beta-Lactams and Glycopeptides: A New Era in Pediatric Care? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Optimizing antibiotic therapy is imperative with rising bacterial resistance and high infection mortality. Extended infusion defined as a continuous infusion (COI) or prolonged infusion (PI) of beta-lactams and glycopeptides might improve efficacy and safety compared to their intermittent administration (IA). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended infusion in pediatric patients. Adhering to Cochrane standards, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis investigating the efficacy and safety of COI (24 h/d) and PI (>1 h/dose) compared to IA (≤1 h/dose) of beta-lactams and glycopeptides in pediatrics. Primary outcomes included mortality, clinical success, and microbiological eradication. Five studies could be included for the outcome mortality, investigating meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefepime, or combinations of these. The pooled relative risk estimate was 0.48 (95% CI 0.26-0.89, p = 0.02). No significant differences between the administration modes were found for the outcomes of clinical success, microbiological eradication (beta-lactams; glycopeptides), and mortality (glycopeptides). No study reported additional safety issues, e.g., adverse drug reactions when using COI/PI vs. IA. Our findings suggest that the administration of beta-lactams by extended infusion leads to a reduction in mortality for pediatric patients.

Improving the Treatment of Neonatal Sepsis in Resource-Limited Settings: Gaps and Recommendations

Neonatal sepsis causes significant global morbidity and mortality, with the highest burden in resource-limited settings where 99% of neonatal deaths occur. There are multiple challenges to achieving successful treatment of neonates in this setting. Firstly, reliable and low-cost strategies for risk identification are urgently needed to facilitate treatment as early as possible. Improved laboratory capacity to allow identification of causative organisms would support antimicrobial stewardship. Antibiotic treatment is still hampered by availability, but also increasingly by antimicrobial resistance - making surveillance of organisms and judicious antibiotic use a priority. Finally, supportive care is key in the management of the neonate with sepsis and has been underrecognized as a priority in resource-limited settings. This includes fluid balance and nutritional support in the acute phase, and follow-up care in order to mitigate complications and optimise long-term outcomes. There is much more work to be done in identifying the holistic needs of neonates and their families to provide effective family-integrated interventions and complete the package of neonatal sepsis management in resource-limited settings.

Evaluation of the safety of piperacillin-tazobactam extended infusion in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients

BACKGROUND

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) may be treated with piperacillin-tazobactam (PZT) for acute pulmonary exacerbations. Extending the infusion of PZT is one strategy to increase efficacy. Direct comparison, with respect to the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), between these two strategies has not been evaluated in pediatric patients with CF. The primary objective of this study was to compare the incidence of AKI in pediatric CF patients receiving extended infusion (EI) PZT versus traditional infusion (TI).

METHODS

This IRB-approved, retrospective analysis included patients ages 30 days to 18 years that received PZT for at least 48 h between January 1, 2008, and January 1, 2020. PZT was infused over 30 min (TI group) or 4 h (EI group).

RESULTS

Two hundred and four patients were included (TI: 109, EI: 95). Median age was 8 years (4-13) and 7 years (3-12) in the TI and EI groups (p = 0.15). The groups did not differ significantly in their baseline characteristics. There were 12 (11%) AKIs in the TI group and 8 (8.4%) in the EI group (p = 0.53). There was one occurrence of serum sickness in the TI group and none in the EI group. The incidence of thrombocytopenia was similar between the two groups. Median treatment duration was 8 days (5-11) and 9 days (5-13) for the TI and EI groups, respectively (p = 0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant increase in AKI in pediatric patients with CF receiving PZT by EI compared with TI. EI may be utilized to optimize the pharmacokinetics of PZT in pediatric CF patients.

The OBTAINS study: A nationwide cross-sectional survey on the implementation of extended or continuous infusion of β-lactams and vancomycin among neonatal sepsis patients in China

Background: Dosing strategies of β-lactams and vancomycin should be optimized according to pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic principles. However, there is no available data indicating the implementation of extended infusion (EI) or continuous infusion (CI) administration in the management of neonatal sepsis. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted and the pediatricians from 31 provinces in China were enrolled. A multidisciplinary team created the questionnaire, which had three sections and a total of 21 questions with open- and closed-ended responses. The survey was then conducted using an internet platform in an anonymous way. The data was eventually gathered, compiled, and examined. To identify the risk factors associated with the implementation of EI/CI, logistic regression was carried out. Results: A total of 1501 respondents answered the questionnaires. The implementation of EI/CI of β-lactams and vancomycin were only available to one-third of the respondents, and the prolonged strategy was primarily supported by guidelines (71.25%) and advice from medical specialists (55.18%). A significant fraction (72.94%-94.71%) lacked a strong understanding of the infusions' stability. Additionally, it was discovered that more frequent MDT discussions about antibiotic use and the appropriate time pediatricians worked in the neonatal ward were associated with an increase in the use of the EI/CI strategy. Conclusion: The EI/CI strategy in neonatal sepsis was not well recognized in China, and it is necessary to establish a solid MDT team with regularly collaborates. In the near future, guidelines regarding prolonged infusion management in neonatal sepsis should be developed.

Population pharmacokinetics of piperacillin in critically ill children including those undergoing continuous kidney replacement therapy

OBJECTIVES

Despite that piperacillin-tazobactam combination is commonly used in critically ill children, increasing evidence suggests that the current dosing schedules are not optimal for these patients. The aim of this work is to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model for piperacillin to evaluate the efficacy of standard dosing in children with and without kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), and to propose alternative dosing schemes maximizing target attainment.

METHODS

429 piperacillin concentrations measured in different matrices, obtained from 32 critically ill children (19 without CKRT, 13 with CKRT) receiving 100 mg/kg of piperacillin/tazobactam every 8 hours (increased to 12h after the 4th dose) were modelled simultaneously using the population approach with NONMEM 7.4. The percentage of patients with 90% fT>MIC and target attainment (percentage of dosing interval above MIC) were estimated for different intermittent and continuous infusions in the studied population.

RESULTS

Piperacillin PK was best described with a two-compartment model. Renal (CL_R), nonrenal (CL_M), and hemofilter (CL_CKRT) clearances were found to be influenced by the glomerular filtration rate, height (CL_R), weight (CL_M) and filter surface (CL_CKRT). Only 7 (37%) children without CKRT and 7 (54%) with CKRT achieved 90% fT >MIC with the current dosing schedule. Of the alternative regimens evaluated, a 24h continuous infusion of 200 mg/kg (CKRT) and 300 mg/kg (no CKRT) provided 100% fT >MIC(≤16mg/L) and target attainments ≥90% across all evaluated MICs.

CONCLUSIONS

In children with and without CKRT, standard dosing failed to provide an adequate systemic exposure, while prolonged and continuous infusions showed an improved efficacy.

Extended Infusion of Meropenem in Neonatal Sepsis: A Historical Cohort Study

This single-center historical cohort study investigated the effectiveness and safety of extended infusion (EI) compared with short-term infusion (STI) of meropenem in neonatal sepsis. Patient electronic health records from Peking University Third Hospital (1 December 2011−1 April 2021) were screened. Neonates diagnosed with sepsis and treated with meropenem in the neonatal intensive care unit were included (256 patients) as STI (0.5 h, 129 patients) and EI (2−3 h, 127 patients) groups. Three-day clinical effectiveness and three-day microbial clearance were considered the main outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. EI of meropenem was associated with a significantly higher 3-day clinical effectiveness rate (0.335 (0.180, 0.623), p = 0.001) and 3-day microbial clearance (4.127 (1.235, 13.784), p = 0.021) than STI, with comparable safety. Subgroup analyses showed that neonates with very low birth weight benefited from EI in terms of 3-day clinical effectiveness rate (75.6% versus 56.6%, p = 0.007), with no significant difference in the 3-day clinical effectiveness (85.1% versus 78.3%, p = 0.325) and microbial clearance (6% versus 5%, p > 0.999) rates between 3 h and 2 h infusions. Thus, EI of meropenem may be associated with better effectiveness and comparable safety in treating neonatal sepsis than STI. Nonetheless, historically analyzed safety evaluation might be biased, and these findings need confirmation in randomized controlled trials of larger sample sizes.

Vancomycin Use in Children and Neonates across Three Decades: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Top-Cited Articles

Vancomycin is frequently prescribed in pediatrics, especially in intensive care unit settings, to treat Gram-positive bacterial infections. This work aims to collect the top-cited articles of pediatric and infectious diseases areas to gather the current evidence and gaps of knowledge on the use of vancomycin in these populations. The most relevant journals reported in the "pediatrics" and "infectious diseases" categories of the 2019 edition of Journal Citation Reports were browsed. Articles with more than 30 citations and published over the last three decades were collected. A bibliometric analysis was performed and 115 articles were retrieved. They were published in 21 journals, with a median impact factor of 4.6 (IQR 2.9-5.4). Sixty-eight of them (59.1%) belonged to "infectious diseases" journals. The most relevant topic was "bloodstream/complicated/invasive infections", followed by "antibiotic resistance/MRSA treatment". As for population distribution, 27 articles were on children only and 27 on neonates, most of which were from intensive care unit (ICU) settings. The current literature mainly deals with vancomycin as a treatment for severe infections and antibiotic resistance, especially in neonatal ICU settings. Lately, attention to new dosing strategies in the neonatal and pediatric population has become a sensible topic.