Short Course Of Antibiotic Treatment Research Articles

Is Short-Course Antibiotic Therapy Suitable for Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Bloodstream Infections in Onco-Hematology Patients with Febrile Neutropenia? Results of a Multi-Institutional Analysis

Background. Several studies have suggested that short-course antibiotic therapy does not increase infection recurrence or mortality in immunocompetent patients. While similar studies in patients with hematological malignancies were rare. Methods. This cohort included onco-hematology patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bloodstream infections (BSI). These patients had undergone chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and experienced febrile neutropenia. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to balance the confounding factors. Results. 434 patients met eligibility criteria (short-course, 7-11 days, n=229; prolonged therapy, 12-21 days, n=205). In the weighted cohort, after multivariate analysis, the recurrent PA infection at any site or mortality within 30 days of completing therapy occurred in 8 (3.9%) patients in the short-course group and in 10 (4.9%) in the prolonged-course group ( p = 0.926), the recurrent infection within 90 days occurred in 20 (9.8%) patients in the short-course group and in 13 (6.3%) patients in the prolonged-course group ( p =0.276), and the recurrent fever within 7 days occurred in 17 (8.3%) patients in the short-course group and in 15 (7.4%) in the prolonged-course group ( p = 0.980). While multidrug-resistant PA, relapsed/refractory hematological malignancies and perianal mucositis were the key determinants of infection recurrence/mortality other than the short course of antibiotic treatment (p<0.05 for all). On average, patients who received short-course antibiotic therapy spent 3.3 fewer days in the hospital ( p<0.001). Conclusions. We found that onco-hematology patients with PA BSI who received approximately 8 days of antibiotics had similar clinical outcomes to those who received a prolonged-course therapy, with the potential added benefit of earlier hospital discharge.

Are short courses of antibiotic therapy as effective as standard courses for COPD exacerbations? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe best duration of antibiotic treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations is uncertain. ObjectiveTo evaluate whether a short course of antibiotic therapy is as effective as the standard longer treatment for exacerbations of patients with COPD. MethodsWe searched Pubmed/MEDLINE and trials in relevant systematic reviews from the inception up to March 2021, with no language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials comparing short-course antibiotic therapy (≤5 days) with standard antibiotic therapy (≥6 days) for exacerbations of patients aged ≥40 with spirometrically-confirmed COPD were included. Three outcomes were considered: end-of-therapy clinical cure, bacterial eradication and adverse events. Statistical analyses included random effects meta-analyses using odds ratios and assessment of heterogeneity. ResultsOf 1274 citations found, eight were eligible for inclusion, seven of which recruited outpatients. Overall, short-course antibiotic treatments were not significantly different from those of long-course treatments for clinical cure (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% CI 0.91; 1.44) and for bacterial eradication (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.91; 1.48). Adverse events were observed in 379 (21.1%) patients receiving short-term antibiotic regimens, while 412 (22.8%) patients receiving the standard regimens reported adverse events (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.62; 1.11). The heterogeneity of the studies was low. ConclusionIn relation to clinical and bacteriological efficacy, a short course of antibiotic treatment is equivalent to longer conventional treatment in mainly outpatients with exacerbations of COPD. Moreover, shorter exposure to antibiotics may decrease the risk developing antimicrobial resistance and, hence, might become first-line therapy for the management of ambulatory COPD patients.

Efekti različitih antibiotskih terapija akutnog rinosinuzitisa

Introduction: Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and it can be infectious, allergic or autoimmune. Acute rhinosinusitis commonly has viral origin and occurs as part of the upper respiratory tract infections. The most common pathogens are Streptococcus, Pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae. Some inflammations may start as viral, but develop into bacterial superinfection, i.e., subsequent colonization of the bacteria in 0.5-2% of cases. Viral sinusitis lasts for 7-10 days, whereas bacterial may take longer. The aim: The aim of this study was to compare three therapeutic protocols for the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted at the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Clinical Center Nis from October 2019 to January 2020, and it involved patients with acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in whom we compared the efficiency and safety of levofloxacin administration for five and 10 days with the efficiency of amoxicillin clavulanate treatment. The study included 62 patients with documented clinical and radiological symptoms. Results: Confirmation of bacterial etiology is not routinely performed in clinical practice since it requires antral puncture or endoscopic examination of the middle nasal meatus. Consequently, the choice of antibiotic therapy is empiric. In our study, we used levofloxacin for five (500 mg once a day) and 10 days (500 mg once a day) and amoxicillin-clavulanatefor 10 days (500 mg-125 mg three times a day), and the results showed no statistically significant difference in regard to the choice of antibiotics and the duration of therapy. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that a short course of antibiotic treatment has similar efficiency compared to a longer course of treatment of patients with uncomplicated acute bacterial sinusitis when treatment is indicated.

Efficacy of antibiotic short course for bloodstream infections in acute myeloid leukemia patients with febrile neutropenia: A retrospective comparative study

ObjectivesThere is no specific recommendation about antimicrobial treatment length for documented infections in chemotherapy induced febrile neutropenia (FN). Practices have changed along time in our center regarding length of antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study was to compare long versus short antibiotic course for bloodstream infection (BSI) treatment in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients during FN. MethodsThis monocentric retrospective comparative study included all consecutive BSI episodes among AML patients with FN for 3 years (2017–2019). Episodes were classified regarding the length of antibiotic treatment, considered as short course if the treatment lasted ≤ 7 days, except for nonfermenting bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus or lugdunensis for which the threshold was ≤ 10 days and ≤ 14 days, respectively. The primary outcome was the number of BSI relapses in both groups within 30 days of antibiotic discontinuation. ResultsAmong 71 AML patients, 104 BSI episodes were included; 48 (46%) received short course treatment. Only 8 (7.6%) BSI episodes relapsed within 30 days of antibiotic discontinuation, 5 having received short course treatment. No association was found between risk of relapse and short course of antibiotic treatment (p = 0.37). The only risk factor significantly associated with BSI relapse was neutropenia duration (p = 0.005). ConclusionAntibiotic short course seemed as effective as prolonged treatment for BSI in AML patients during FN, with very few relapses at day 30. These encouraging findings should be confirmed through prospective studies.

Is short-course systemic antibiotic therapy using an antibiotic-loaded cement spacer safe after resection for infected total knee arthroplasty? A comparative study

Most patients who undergo two-stage exchange arthroplasty surgery for total knee arthroplasty prosthetic joint infection (TKA-PJI) receive a six-week course of systemic antibiotic treatment after the first stage procedure. However, the optimal duration of therapy has not been conclusively determined. We included 64 patients with periprosthetic knee infection who had undergone two-stage exchange arthroplasty. Between March 2003 and December 2009, 21 patients were given a short-course (less than 1 week) antibiotic treatment, and 43 were given a standard-course (4-6 weeks) treatment during the interim period. We compared length of hospital stay, duration of intravenous and overall systemic antibiotic treatments, and rate of recurrent periprosthetic knee infection between groups. Short-course antibiotic treatment was associated with a shorter hospital stay and a shorter duration of intravenous and systemic antibiotic treatment. Implant survival regarding re-resection arthroplasty and chronic oral antibiotic suppression as primary endpoints was not significant different statistically between two groups (p=0.317). The 1-year implant survival rates were 91.7% in the short-course group and 89.8% in the standard-course group. The 5-year implant survival rates were 85.2% and 74.0%, respectively. After the first stage of resection arthroplasty for a two-stage exchange arthroplasty, a short course of antibiotic treatment had similar implant survival rates in comparison to the standard 6-week course. With radical debridement combined with an antibiotic-loaded cement spacer along with serial monitoring of the patient, a short course antibiotic treatment may be adequate in patients with TKA-PJI.

Reconsidering the Use of Minocycline in the Preliminary Treatment Regime of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Strong epidemiologic, clinical, and basic science studies have identified a number of factors that may lead to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) onset and progression, particularly involving the complex interplay between genomics, environmental risk factors, the breakdown of immune self-tolerance, and microbiome dysbiosis. A chronic state of inflammation established by infectious agents has long been suspected to set the stage for the development of RA. The purpose of this article is to review the contribution of the gut, lung, and oral microbiomes to the pathogenesis of RA and consider the importance of supplementing the preliminary treatment regime of RA patients with antibiotics, in particular, minocycline. Minocycline has been used in the treatment of RA due to its bacteriostatic, as well as immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Ultimately, a short course of antibiotic treatment with minocycline may eliminate pathogenic organisms contributing to the development and progression of RA.

A short course of antibiotic treatment is safe after catheter withdrawal in catheter-related bloodstream infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci.

CoNS is the main cause of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). Current guidelines recommend catheter withdrawal followed by antibiotics for at least 5days. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of a shorter course of antibiotherapy in patients with CoNS CRBSI. All proven cases of CoNS CRBSI at our institution (Jan 12/Dec 17) were retrospectively analysed. Comparison of clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients receiving a short (SC ≤ 3days) versus long antibiotic course (LC > 3days) was performed. Cox regression models predicting the risk for complications (including propensity score [PS] for treatment assignment as covariate) were designed to adjust baseline differences among both treatment groups. A total of 79 cases were included. Most patients (75.9%) showed clinical response at day 7 after catheter removal. Complications occurred in 3.8% (three cases of septic thrombophlebitis) with no cases of endocarditis. Microbiological relapse (MR) occurred in 13 patients (16.5%). SC and LC were administered to 25 (31.6%) and 54 (68.4%) patients, respectively, with no significant differences in MR-free survival between SC and LC groups (87.8 vs 86.3%; P = 0.6). In PS-adjusted Cox regression analyses, a tunnelled catheter as the source of CRBSI was the only independent risk factor for MR (hazard ratio, 5.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-21) whereas the duration of therapy had no apparent impact. Shortening antibiotic therapy to ≤ 3days is not associated with a poorer outcome or a greater risk of MR in patients with CoNS CRBI with catheter withdrawal.

Ocular Syphilis in HIV-positive Male

The incidence of syphilis has increased over the last decade, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). Ocular involvement is a potentially devastating clinical manifestation of syphilis. It is both immediately sight threatening and associated with the risk of both systemic and ocular long-term complications that may result in severe loss of function. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection appears to increase the risk of ocular syphilis. Prompt diagnosis of ocular syphilis required high index of suspicion due to the lack of pathognomonic features and its ability to occur in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals. Nonetheless, with prompt diagnosis, it is curable with a relatively short course of antibiotic treatment. This case describes a presentation of ocular syphilis in a HIV-positive MSM patient.

Antimicrobial treatment after laparoscopic appendectomy for preventing a post-operative intraabdominal abscess: A Prospective Cohort Study of 1817 patients

IntroductionPost-operative antimicrobial treatment is usually administered to prevent a post-operative intraabdominal abscess (IAA) after laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). The aim of this study was to identify the role of post-operative antibiotic treatment and the optimal length for the antibiotic course to prevent post-operative IAA after LA. MethodsBetween January 2010 and December 2013, 1817 patients who underwent three-port LA were enrolled in this study. Patients were classified into four groups according to the type of appendicitis and infectious source control. The characteristics of antimicrobial treatment and the incidence of IAA were analyzed and compared among the four groups. ResultsThe incidence of IAA after three-port LA was 1.5% (27/1817). The mean durations of post-operative antibiotic use were 3.1 days for the non-IAA group and 3.3 days for the IAA group, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.510). DiscussionThe length of post-operative antibiotic treatment and antimicrobial combination therapy did not affect the development of IAA, and prolonged antibiotic treatment did not prevent IAA. However, when source control was not completely achieved, an IAA was frequently observed in the patient group that received a short course of antibiotic treatment. ConclusionThe role of antibiotic treatment for preventing post-appendectomy IAA seems to be related with achieving intraperitoneal infectious source control. In the setting of incomplete source control, we recommend a 5-day course of antimicrobial combination therapy and consecutive source control such as peritoneal drainage.

Usefulness of reagent strips for checking cure in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis after short‐course treatment

The usefulness of reagent strips to check cure of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis have not been evaluated to date. To assess the usefulness of ascitic fluid analysis by means of reagent strips to check cure after a 5-day antibiotic course. We prospectively included all cirrhotic patients diagnosed with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. On day 5, conventional and reagent strip ascitic fluid analyses were performed. Fifty-three episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in 51 cirrhotic patients were included. Five patients died before the fifth day and in two patients, the control paracentesis yielded no ascitic fluid. In nine out of 46 cases (19.6%), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis had not resolved by day 5. In 32 out of 33 cases in which the ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear count was <250/microL at day five, the reagent strips was negative. The negative predictive value of the reagent strip at fifth day was 97% and the LR- 0.13. Almost 20% of episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis do not resolve with a short-course of antibiotic treatment. In view of the high negative predictive value and low likelihood ratio for a negative test, reagent strips analysis may be an alternative to conventional cytology if a 5-day antibiotic therapy is planned.

Mediterranean spotted fever: a report of 200 cases in Tunisia

Department of Ophthalmology, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Monastir, TunisiaINTRODUCTIONMediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-bornezoonosis caused by Rickettsia conorii. Its firstdescription was made by Conor and Brush inTunisia in 1910, where this disease is the mostcommon rickettsiosis.The characteristic symptoms are fever and rashwith the presence of a black eschar ‘tache noire’ inthe majority of cases. Early empiric therapy withtetracycline is the standard care for any caseconsidered consistent with a MSF infection whileconfirmatory laboratory results are pending.The aim of our study is to assess the effective-ness of a short course of antibiotic treatment inMSF.MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Short Course of Antibiotic Treatment Is Effective in Preventing Death from Experimental Inhalational Anthrax after Discontinuing Antibiotics

Postexposure prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax requires prolonged antibiotic therapy or antibiotics and vaccination. The duration of treatment for established anthrax is controversial, because retained spores may germinate and cause disease after antibiotics are discontinued. Using rhesus macaques, we determined whether a short course of antibiotic treatment, as opposed to prophylaxis, could effectively treat inhalational anthrax and prevent disease caused by the germination of spores after discontinuation of antibiotics. Two groups of 10 rhesus macaques were exposed to an aerosol dose of Bacillus anthracis spores. Animals in group 1 received ciprofloxacin prophylaxis beginning 1-2 h after exposure. Those in group 2 began receiving ciprofloxacin after becoming bacteremic, and treatment was continued for 10 days. When each group 2 animal completed 10 days of therapy, the prophylactic antibiotic was discontinued in the paired group 1 animal. In group 1 (prophylaxis), no deaths occurred during antibiotic treatment, but only 2 (20%) of 10 animals survived after antibiotics were discontinued. In contrast, in group 2 (treatment), 3 deaths occurred during antibiotic treatment, but all 7 animals (100%) alive after 10 days of therapy survived when antibiotics were discontinued. In the treatment of inhalational anthrax, the prolonged course of antibiotics required to achieve prophylaxis may not be necessary to prevent anthrax that results from the germination of retained spores after the discontinuation of antibiotics.

Short course of antibiotic treatment in acute exacerbations of COPD

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed empirically for lower respiratory infections. Infections of the airway mucosa are much more common than pneumonia and the illness they cause is less severe because the...

Short-course antibiotic treatment in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD: a meta-analysis of double-blind studies

Background:A study was undertaken to determine whether a short course of antibiotic treatment (⩽5 days) is as effective as the conventional longer treatment in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and...

Review: a short course of antibiotic treatment is as effective as a standard course in children with urinary tract infection

Review: a short course of antibiotic treatment is as effective as a standard course in children with urinary tract infection

Insulin‐like growth factor‐I and insulin‐like growth factor‐binding protein‐3 in cystic fibrosis: a positive effect of antibiotic therapy and hyperalimentation

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are underweight and growth retarded. This study tested the link between serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels and body height, nutritional status, pulmonary function tests and activity of inflammation in 92 subjects with CF (age 2.1-18.8 y). It also analysed the effect of short-term antibiotic treatment and hyperalimentation on IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in 33 subjects (age 3.6-33.7y) on 41 occasions. Both IGF-I (-1.19 +/- 0.17 SD) and IGFBP-3 levels (-0.66 +/- 0.12 SD; both p < 0.0001 vs 0) were decreased in cross-sectional measurements. Their standardized values were inversely proportional to age (IGF-I: r = -0.23, p = 0.03; IGFBP-3: r = -0.29, p = 0.005) and positively correlated with SDS of height (IGF-I: r = 0.40, p < 0.0001; IGFBP-3: r = 0.36, p = 0.0005) and of mid-arm circumference (IGF-I: r = 0.39, p = 0.0001; IGFBP-3: r = 0.38, p = 0.0002), and with pulmonary function tests. After a short-term course of intensive antibiotic therapy and hyperalimentation, IGF-I normalized (from -0.66 +/- 0.20 to 0.00 +/- 0.25 SD; p < 0.0001) and IGFBP-3 increased (from -0.78 +/- 0.15 to -0.53 +/- 0.16 SD; p = 0.002). IGFBP-3 correlated inversely with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = -0.40, p = 0.01). The levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are markedly decreased in patients with CF and tend to normalise after a short course of antibiotic treatment and hyperalimentation.

Review: a short course of antibiotics is as effective as a long course for acute otitis media in children

Kozyrskyj AL, Hildes-Ripstein GE, Longstaffe SE , et al. Treatment of acute otitis media with a shortened course of antibiotics. A meta-analysis. JAMA1998 Jun 3; 279 : 1736 –42 [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web...