IDSA Releases Treatment Guidance for Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative Infections

Yesterday, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) updated its guidance for antimicrobial resistant gram-negative infections looking at a number of infections in this area.

Specifically, the panel authors focused on infections caused by Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E), AmpC β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (AmpC-E), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), Pseudomonas aeruginosa with difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR-P. aeruginosa), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

According to the authors, the guidance is presented as responses to clinical questions about the individual pathogen. The guidance also includes brief descriptions of significant clinical trials, resistance mechanisms, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods.

Conversely, exclusions from the guidance include GRADE methodology and a comprehensive review of these topics.

The authors recommend that infectious disease providers be involved in treatment management for patients with infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant organisms. They also expressed the significance of staying current on treatment guidance in this area, and expect to update the document annually.

“The field of AMR is dynamic and rapidly evolving, and the treatment of antimicrobial resistant infections will continue to challenge clinicians. As newer antibiotics against resistant pathogens are incorporated into clinical practice, we are learning more about their effectiveness and propensity to resistance,” they wrote in the document.

The updated IDSA guidance can be found here. Stay tuned for additional commentary on this significant update.