Processing Phage Therapy Requests in a Brussels Military Hospital: Lessons Identified.

Sarah Djebara,Isabella Strachinaru,Patrick Soentjens,Peggy De Leenheer,Maya Merabishvili,Kim Pang,Jean-Paul Pirnay,Daniel De Vos,Benjamin Damanet,Christiane Maussen

doi:10.3390/v11030265

Sarah Djebara, Isabella Strachinaru + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/v11030265

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Journal: Viruses	Publication Date: Mar 17, 2019
Citations: 64	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Queen Astrid Military Hospital

Abstract

There is a growing interest in phage therapy as a complementary tool against antimicrobial resistant infections. Since 2007, phages have been used sporadically to treat bacterial infections in well-defined cases in the Queen Astrid military hospital (QAMH) in Brussels, Belgium. In the last two years, external requests for phage therapy have increased significantly. From April 2013 to April 2018, 260 phage therapy requests were addressed to the QAMH. Of these 260 requests, only 15 patients received phage therapy. In this paper, we analyze the phage therapy requests and outcomes in order to improve upon the overall capacity for phage therapy at the QAMH.

Highlights

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing threat to human health and to the production of food and to sustainable development
Upon the widespread marketing of antibiotics, which had the advantage of exhibiting a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, phage therapy was abandoned in the West by about the 1940s
We reported the case of a patient treated with intravenous bacteriophage monotherapy against colistin-only-sensitive P. aeruginosa [8]

Summary

Introduction

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing threat to human health and to the production of food and to sustainable development. In 2016, the United Nations acknowledged that the current antimicrobial resistance crisis is mainly due to the inappropriate use of antimicrobial medicines in the public health, animal, food, agriculture, and aquaculture sectors; a lack of access to health services (including to diagnostics and laboratory capacity); and the presence of antimicrobial residues in soil, crops, and water They subsequently committed to work at national, regional, and global levels to support the development of new antimicrobial agents and therapies [2]. Upon the widespread marketing of antibiotics, which had the advantage of exhibiting a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, phage therapy was abandoned in the West by about the 1940s It continued to be developed and used in Eastern Europe and in former. Europe and to guide future phage therapy R&D in and outside the QAMH

Demographics

Infection Types and Bacterial Pathogens

Patient Care Workflow

Findings

Implications for Future Activities