The Effects of Antibiotic Cycling and Mixing on Antibiotic Resistance in ICU

The Effects of Antibiotic Cycling and Mixing on Antibiotic Resistance in ICU

Whether antibiotic rotation strategies reduce prevalence of antibiotic-resistant, Gram-negative bacteria in intensive care units (ICUs) has not been accurately established. We aimed to assess whether cycling of antibiotics... read more

Sepsis Incidence: A Population-Based Study

Sepsis Incidence: A Population-Based Study

The incidence of sepsis with organ dysfunction is higher than most previous estimates independent of definition. The inclusion of all inpatients started on intravenous antibiotic treatment of sepsis in a population makes... read more

Oral Versus Intravenous Antibiotics for the Treatment Of Bone and Joint Infection

Oral Versus Intravenous Antibiotics for the Treatment Of Bone and Joint Infection

Oral antibiotic therapy is non-inferior to IV therapy when used during the first six weeks in the treatment for bone and joint infection, as assessed by definitive treatment failure within one year of randomisation. These... read more

Do We Need New Trials of Procalcitonin-Guided Antibiotic Therapy?

Do We Need New Trials of Procalcitonin-Guided Antibiotic Therapy?

Using biomarkers as a guide to tailor the duration of antibiotic treatment in respiratory infections is an attractive hypothesis assessed in several studies. Recent work aiming to summarize the evidence assessed the effect... read more

Prompt Administration of Antibiotics and Fluids in the Treatment of Sepsis

Prompt Administration of Antibiotics and Fluids in the Treatment of Sepsis

We conclude that antibiotic therapy is highly time sensitive, and efforts should be made to deliver this critical therapy as early as possible in sepsis, perhaps extending into the first point of medical contact outside the... read more

Importance of Second Antibiotic Doses in ED Sepsis Patients

Importance of Second Antibiotic Doses in ED Sepsis Patients

Most studies evaluating early antibiotic administration in sepsis patients focus on timing of the first dose. We highlight many of these studies in our recent review article on Appropriate Antibiotic Therapy in Emergency... read more

Is Fever the Normal Temperature of Sepsis

Is Fever the Normal Temperature of Sepsis

We know that hypothermia in sepsis is associated with increased mortality but other than that we tend to see fever in sepsis as something bad. We tend to perceive sepsis patients as more sick the more the temperature is elevated.... read more

Diagnostic Stewardship for Healthcare-Associated Infections

Diagnostic Stewardship for Healthcare-Associated Infections

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and unnecessary cost. The financial stakes of HAIs for hospitals were underscored in 2008 when the Centers... read more

New Infection Prevention Research Grant Award

New Infection Prevention Research Grant Award

The SHEA Education and Research Foundation (SHEAERF), in collaboration with the SHEA Research Committee, is seeking bright and dedicated early investigators within 5 years of completion of training (MPH, PhD, PharmD, or MD)... read more

Healthcare Utilization and Infection in the Week Prior to Sepsis Hospitalization

Healthcare Utilization and Infection in the Week Prior to Sepsis Hospitalization

Over 45% of sepsis patients had clinician-based encounters in the week prior to hospitalization with an increasing frequency of diagnoses for acute infection and antibiotic use in the outpatient setting. These presepsis encounters... read more

Probiotics Offer Powerful Protection Against Sepsis in Infants

Probiotics Offer Powerful Protection Against Sepsis in Infants

Sepsis can occur in just about anyone, including infants. Recent research shows feeding newborns probiotics (healthy bacteria) significantly lowers the child's risk of developing sepsis. The study involved infants in rural... read more

The Fallacy of Time-to-Intervention Studies

The Fallacy of Time-to-Intervention Studies

We are barraged by time-to-intervention studies (door-to-balloon time, time-to-antibiotics, door-to-needle, etc.). However, it must be kept in mind that these studies are purely correlational in design. Such studies cannot... read more

Trends and Patterns of Antibiotic Consumption in China

Trends and Patterns of Antibiotic Consumption in China

The consumption of antibiotics is a major driver in the development of antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to identify the trends and patterns of the total antibiotic consumption in China’s tertiary hospitals from... read more

Effect of Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Surgical Site Infections Following Removal of Orthopedic Implants

Effect of Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Surgical Site Infections Following Removal of Orthopedic Implants

In this randomized clinical trial that included 470 patients who were undergoing surgery for removal of orthopedic implants used for treatment of below-the-knee fractures, surgical site infection occurred in 12.9% of patients... read more

A New Combination of Antibiotic and Inhibitor

A New Combination of Antibiotic and Inhibitor

Intensivists have another antibiotic combination to treat severe infections caused by gram-negative bacteria with the FDA’s approval of Vabomere (meropenem, combined with the beta-lactamase inhibitor called vaborbactam).... read more

Diagnostic Importance of Pulmonary Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-8 in VAP

Diagnostic Importance of Pulmonary Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-8 in VAP

BALF IL-1β and IL-8 are amongst the strongest markers yet identified for accurately demarcating VAP within the larger population of patients with suspected VAP. These findings have potential implications for reduction in... read more

Dr. Paul Wischmeyer Brings Humanity To Medicine

Dr. Paul Wischmeyer Brings Humanity To Medicine

Dr. Paul Wischmeyer's journey to becoming an internationally-renowned critical care and perioperative nutrition researcher and clinician began at the age of 15 when a bout of strep throat and a prescription for antibiotics... read more