Short antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated Gram-Negative bacilli bacteremia: real-world experience in a single center

Abstract

Backgound: The shortened 7-day antimicrobial therapy has been established as the standard of care in uncomplicated gram-negative bacilli (GNB) bacteremia. Accumulating evidence shows that it is as effective as prolonged treatments and has a better safety profile. Aim: To evaluate the real-life effectiveness of the use of shortened treatments for uncomplicated GNB bacteremia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational semi-analytical study. The population included adult patients with GNB bacteremia admitted to a hospital in Argentina during two periods. Results: 364 patients with Enterobacteriaceae bacteremia were analyzed, revealing Escherichia coli as the most frequent microorganism (59%) in both groups. Relapse at 30 days was 4.8% in the prolonged treatment and 7.6% in the shortened treatment, with no statistical significance (OR 1.64; 95% CI: 0.68-3.97; p=0.274). There were no differences in 30-day mortality or in-hospital mortality between the two groups. Conclusions: In this retrospective real-life cohort, the adoption of shorter antimicrobial regimens was equally effective and safe in this subgroup of patients.

Keywords: Bacteria; bacterial infections; antibiotic therapy; bacteraemia; duration; Gram-negative rods.