Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2022
Risk Factors and Algorithms for the Empirical Treatment of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) continue to be major concerns for morbidity and mortality, especially in patients treated in the intensive care unit. With the rise in multidrug-resistant organisms, HAP and VAP treatment is challenged by the need for early appropriate treatment, with broad-spectrum agents, while still being aware of the principles of antibiotic stewardship. The two major society guidelines proposed a series of risk factors in their most recent guidelines to help identify patients who can most benefit from narrow- or broad-spectrum initial empiric antibiotic therapy. The guidelines reveal differences in the proposed risk factors and treatment approaches, as well as major similarities.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2022
Multicenter StudyHospital-Acquired Pneumonia/Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Ventilator-Associated Tracheobronchitis in COVID-19.
Although few studies evaluated the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) or ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis in COVID-19 patients, several studies evaluated the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in these patients. Based on the results of a large multicenter European study, VAP incidence is higher in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (36.1%), as compared with those with influenza pneumonia (22.2%), or no viral infection at intensive care unit (ICU) admission (16.5%). ⋯ VAP is associated with increased mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU length of stay in COVID-19 patients. Further studies should focus on the incidence of HAP especially in ICU non-ventilated patients, better determine the pathophysiology of these infections, and evaluate the accuracy of currently available treatment guidelines in COVID-19 patients.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2022
Nebulized Antibiotics for Healthcare- and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.
Global emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensive drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria has increased the risk of treatment failure, especially for healthcare- or ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP). Nebulization of antibiotics, by providing high intrapulmonary antibiotic concentrations, represents a promising approach to optimize the treatment of HAP/VAP due to multidrug-resistant and extensive drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, while limiting systemic antibiotic exposure. Aminoglycosides and colistin methanesulfonate are the most common nebulized antibiotics. ⋯ Adjunctive nebulized aminoglycosides could increase the clinical cure rate and bacteriological eradication in patients suffering from HAP/VAP due to multidrug-resistant and extensive drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. As nebulized aminoglycosides broadly diffuse in the systemic circulation of patients with extensive bronchopneumonia, monitoring of plasma trough concentrations is recommended during the period of nebulization. Large randomized controlled trials comparing high dose of nebulized colistin methanesulfonate to high dose of intravenous colistin methanesulfonate or to intravenous new β-lactams in HAP/VAP due to multidrug-resistant and extensive drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria are urgently needed.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2022
Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Optimization of Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: Challenges and Strategies.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are correlated with high mortality rates worldwide. Thus, the administration of antibiotic therapy with appropriate dosing regimen is critical. An efficient antibiotic is needed to maintain an adequate concentration at the infection site, for a sufficient period of time, to achieve the best therapeutic outcome. ⋯ Another major hurdle faced in optimizing treatment for HAP/VAP is the reduction of the in vitro potency. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), if available, may allow health care providers to personalize treatment to maximize efficacy of the drug exposures while minimizing toxicity. TDM can be of significant importance in populations whom PK are less defined and for resistant infections to achieve the best therapeutic outcome.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Apr 2022
Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Hospital and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonias.
Pneumonia is the commonest nosocomial infection complicating hospital stay, with both non-ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) occurring frequently amongst patients in intensive care. Aspergillus is an increasingly recognized pathogen amongst patients with HAP and VAP, and is associated with significantly increased mortality if left untreated. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) was originally identified in patients who had been profoundly immunosuppressed, however, this disease can also occur in patients with relative immunosuppression such as critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Amphotericin has excellent antimold coverage, but a less advantageous side effect profile. Echinocandins are less effective against IPA, but may play a role in rescue therapy, or as an adjuvant to triazole therapy. A high index of suspicion for IPA should be maintained when investigating patients with HAP or VAP, especially when they have specific risk factors or are not responding to appropriate empiric antibacterial therapy.