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Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans

European data show big drop in antibiotic use during the pandemic

New data from the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control (ECDC) show a dramatic drop in community antibiotic use across Europe during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disrupted care, discrimination tied to less infant vaccination during COVID

US infants born early in the pandemic were less likely to receive routine childhood vaccinations if their mothers had perinatal care disruptions (those just before or after birth) or experienced discrimination during pregnancy, according to a prospective study today in JAMA Pediatrics.

Study: No risk of serious adverse events in elderly COVID vaccine recipients

A new nationwide study in France involving people 75 years or older found no increase in acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or pulmonary embolism 14 days following each Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine dose. The data was published as a research letter yesterday in JAMA.

Antibiotic spectrum index could boost antibiotic stewardship in NICUs

Use of an antibiotic spectrum index (ASI) helped identify patterns of empiric antibiotic prescribing at three neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and could help guide stewardship efforts, US researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels predict COVID vaccine efficacy, study finds

SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations predict COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, with higher levels correlating with greater protection, according to an ongoing US phase 3 clinical trial yesterday in Science.

Study shows rising use of ceftazidime-avibactam for CRE infections

A large study of patients in Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals shows a significant increase in the use of ceftazidime-avibactam for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections, US researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans

Study shows rising use of ceftazidime-avibactam for CRE infections

Originally published by CIDRAP News Nov 24

Veterinary antimicrobial sales show significant decline in Europe

A new report from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) shows sales of veterinary antimicrobials have fallen by more than 40% since 2011.

Study: 1 in 100 hospitalized COVID-19 patients suffers brain complications

During a meeting tomorrow at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), scientists will present data from the largest multi-institutional international study to date on brain complications of COVID-19 and share that 1 in 100 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 will likely develop complications of the central nervous system like stroke, hemorrhage, and other potentially fatal complications.

Study ties long-haul COVID-19 with chronic fatigue, breathing problems

Many COVID-19 survivors experience impaired circulation, abnormal breathing patterns, and chronic fatigue syndrome an average of 9 months after diagnosis, finds a small, single-center study yesterday in JACC: Heart Failure.

Study suggests contact precautions for MRSA, VRE can be safely removed

A study conducted in 15 hospitals found that discontinuing contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) did not result in increased healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Data suggest third COVID vaccine dose reduces infection, hospitalization

A third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine appears to counteract waning vaccine protection in the short term, according to a preliminary case-control analysis of more than 500,000 coronavirus tests in Israel.

Monoclonal antibody lenzilumab boosts survival in COVID hospital patients

The neutralizing monoclonal antibody lenzilumab significantly raised survival without the use of mechanical ventilation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and had a good safety profile, according to a phase 3 clinical trial yesterday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

USDA to study antimicrobial use, resistance on swine farms

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced this week that it has begun an effort to study antimicrobial use and resistance on commercial swine farms in the Midwest.

COVID-19 risk factors in healthcare workers spelled out

Close contact with COVID-19 cases outside of work is the biggest risk factor for infections among American healthcare workers, according to research published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Paper highlights use of pre-adapted phage against a pan-resistant infection

A new paper in Nature Communications describes the use of a pre-adapted bacteriophage in combination with antibiotics to treat a patient with a fracture-related, pandrug-resistant (PDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

Study finds no evidence of live virus in breast milk of moms with COVID-19

A small University of California study finds no evidence that breast milk from mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 transmits the virus to their babies.

The study, published today in Pediatrics Research, involved polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of 285 samples and viral culture of 160 samples of breast milk from 110 women with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Third COVID vaccine boosts antibodies that neutralize Omicron

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine successfully raises antibody levels that neutralize the Omicron variant, according to laboratory findings from UK scientists published yesterday in The Lancet.

Phase 3 trial finds oral microbiome therapy cuts risk of recurrent C diff

In a phase 3 trial, an investigational oral microbiome therapy was superior to placebo in reducing the risk of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, researchers reported yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

No reduced fertility with COVID vaccines, but infection ups risk in men

A cohort study of more than 2,000 US and Canadian women indicates that COVID-19 vaccination does not impair fertility—but men who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience short-term reduced fertility, according to surveys of the women's partners.

Our weekly wrap-up of antimicrobial stewardship & antimicrobial resistance scans

Phase 3 trial finds oral microbiome therapy cuts risk of recurrent C diff

In a phase 3 trial, an investigational oral microbiome therapy was superior to placebo in reducing the risk of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, researchers reported yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Study highlights non-guideline adherent antibiotic treatment for C diff

A review of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) treatments at 10 community hospitals found that only 50% of treatment regimens were adherent to guidelines regarding use of fidaxomicin, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Study: Mental health visits increased for physicians during pandemic

A new Canadian study shows visits for mental health and substance abuse problems by physicians increased 27% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is published in JAMA Network Open.

12% to 15% of US adults report serious psychological distress amid COVID

Among 1,068 US adults surveyed about their mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 12% to 15% reported serious psychological distress that persisted throughout the study period, mostly among young adults, low-income respondents, and Hispanic participants.

The data were published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

Study suggests shorter IV antibiotic durations for young infants with UTIs

A review and meta-analysis of studies on urinary tract infections (UTIs) in young infants suggests shorter intravenous (IV) antibiotic courses, with an early switch to oral antibiotics, should be considered, Australian researchers reported yesterday in Pediatrics.