Articles from International journal of antimicrobial agents

Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents · Jul 2007

Review

Continuous infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics in severe infections: a review of its role.

Continuous infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics has been widely promoted to optimise their time-dependent activity. Increasing evidence is emerging suggesting potential benefits in patient populations with altered pathophysiology, such as seriously ill patients. From a pharmacokinetic viewpoint, much information supports higher trough concentrations of beta-lactam antibiotics when administered by continuous infusion. ⋯ Some evidence suggests improved clinical cure and resolution of illness with continuous infusion in seriously ill patients. Pharmacoeconomic advantages of continuous infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics are well characterised. Available data suggest that seriously ill patients with severe infections requiring significant antibiotic courses (>or=4 days) may be the subgroup that will achieve better outcomes with continuous infusion.

keep going… mark as read…

Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents · Jun 2007

Review

German guidelines for the diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis.

This Gudelines are the translation of the German Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infective Endocarditis, which were prepared by the Working Group on Infective Endocarditis of the Paul-Ehrlich-Society and the German Society for Cardiology, Heart, and Circulatory Research in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Thorax-, Herz und Gefässchirurgie (DGTHG; German Society for Thorax-, Cardiac-, and Vascular Surgery), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Infektiologie (DGI; German Society for Infectious Diseases), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internistische Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin (DGIIN; German Society for Internal Intensive Care Medicin and Emergency Medicine), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM; German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Innere Medizin (DGIM; German Society for Internal Medicine) (Naber CK et al. [S2 Guideline for diagnosis and therapy of infectious endocarditis] Z Kardiol. 2004;93:1005-21). The Guidelines provide recommendations for the diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis.

Aetiology of bacterial meningitis and resistance to antibiotics of causative pathogens in Europe and in the Mediterranean region.

Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b are most commonly associated with bacterial meningitis accounting for almost 90% of reported cases of acute bacterial meningitis in infants over 60 days of age and young children. This work reviews the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in Europe and in the Mediterranean region as well as the antimicrobial susceptibility of the etiological agents.