Breakpoints

Nico Cortes-Penfield, an expert in infectious diseases, Jessica Seidelman, a hospital epidemiologist, and Kerry LaPlante, a pioneering pharmacist, delve into the complexities of biofilms in prosthetic joint infections. They discuss the challenges in eradicating biofilms with antibiotics and explore innovative non-pharmacologic strategies like bacteriophages and electromagnetism. Their insights shed light on the need for tailored treatment approaches and the ongoing evolution of testing methods to combat these persistent infections effectively.

Dive into the latest breakthroughs in infectious disease research! Discover how AI is revolutionizing the detection of hospital-acquired infections and learn about groundbreaking HIV prevention strategies for young women. The conversation also covers innovative vaccination techniques, new antifungal therapies, and advancements in pediatric care. Plus, explore the exciting developments in EBV treatments post-transplant. It's a treasure trove of insights for anyone passionate about infectious diseases!

The hosts enthusiastically recap highlights from ID Week 2024, focusing on crucial findings like optimal antibiotic durations for bloodstream infections. They explore groundbreaking trials on maternal microbiome impacts on infant health and innovations in pediatric RSV prevention. A lively discussion on enhancing diversity in antimicrobial stewardship education showcases a successful program. Finally, the panel shares humorous moments from the conference, making it clear that science and laughter go hand-in-hand in advancing infectious disease practices.

Drs. Anne-Grete Märtson, Megan Wimmer, and Evan Clemens join Dr. Erin McCreary to tackle the one of the hottest debates among providers taking care of immunocompromised patients, valganciclovir dosing! Learn all about the history of valganciclovir dosing, what is valganciclovir’s PK/PD target, and even valganciclovir therapeutic drug monitoring. References: Märtson AG, Edwina AE, Kim HY, Knoester M, Touw DJ, Sturkenboom MGG, Alffenaar JC. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Ganciclovir: Where Are We? Ther Drug Monit. 2022 Feb 1;44(1):138-147. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0000000000000925. PMID: 34610621; PMCID: PMC8746890. Wiltshire H, Paya CV, Pescovitz MD, Humar A, Dominguez E, Washburn K, Blumberg E, Alexander B, Freeman R, Heaton N, Zuideveld KP; Valganciclovir Solid Organ Transplant Study Group. Pharmacodynamics of oral ganciclovir and valganciclovir in solid organ transplant recipients. Transplantation. 2005 Jun 15;79(11):1477-83. doi: 10.1097/01.tp.0000164512.99703.ad. PMID: 15940035. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Dr. Ed Septimus, a board-certified physician from Texas A&M and Harvard, and Whitney Buckel, an antimicrobial stewardship expert at Intermountain Health, discuss innovative EHR tools for improving antibiotic use. They share insights on optimizing antibiotic order systems and managing penicillin allergies within EHRs. The duo emphasizes the importance of real-time alerts and collaboration for enhancing patient safety. Additionally, they reveal exciting details about the INSPIRE trials, showcasing advancements in healthcare through technology.

Drs. Cesar Arias (@SuperBugDoc) and Katie Barber join Dr. Julie Ann Justo (@julie_justo) to discuss what is hot-off-the-presses for gram-positive bacterial infections and it’s a total party vibe! They review the latest news for recent and ongoing clinical trials (DOTS, DISRUPT, and SNAP trials), discuss hope for novel clinical tests of the cefazolin inoculum effect in staphylococci, and explore the fascinating changes in virulence and potential therapeutic options for the most challenging enterococci. Learn more about the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists: https://sidp.org/About X: @SIDPharm (https://twitter.com/SIDPharm) Instagram: @SIDPharm (https://www.instagram.com/sidpharm/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sidprx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidp References Climate Change and Antimicrobial Resistance. Editors in Conversation Podcast. American Society for Microbiology. Oct 2023. Is More Better? The Role of Combination Therapy for MRSA. Breakpoints Podcast Episode #30. Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists. Turner NA, et al. DOTS: Dalbavancin as an Option for Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia. ESCMID Global 2024. April 2024. NCT04775953. Real-world dalbavancin observational cohort: Rebold N, et al. Infect Dis Ther. 2024 Mar;13(3):565-579. doi: 10.1007/s40121-024-00933-2. PMID: 38427289. Exebacase DISRUPT trial : Fowler VG Jr, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2024 Jun 14;78(6):1473-1481. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciae043. PMID: 38297916. @snap_trial tweet of Breaking News. Aug 2024. Investigator Resources for the SNAP trial. Sept 2024: https://www.snaptrial.com.au/for-investigators#interim Cefazolin inoculum effect on mortality in MSSA bacteremia : Miller WR, et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 May 23;5(6):ofy123. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy123. PMID: 29977970. Prevalence of cefazolin inoculum effect in MSSA and modified rapid nitrocefin test for detection: Carvajal LP, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024 Sep 30:e0089824. doi: 10.1128/aac.00898-24. PMID: 39345182. LiaX as surrogate for cell envelope stress in Enterococus faecium: Axell-House DB, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024 Mar 6;68(3):e0106923. doi: 10.1128/aac.01069-23. PMID: 38289081. Shorter is better for uncomplicated streptococcal bacteremia: Clutter DS, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2024 Aug 7;68(8):e0022024. doi: 10.1128/aac.00220-24. PMID: 38975753. Short vs. long antibiotic duration in Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia: Crotty M, et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2024 Aug 30;11(9):ofae478. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofae478. PMID: 39257675. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

In this discussion, experts Chuck Peloquin, a TB treatment guideline contributor from the University of Florida, and Gerry Davies, an infection pharmacology professor at the University of Liverpool, delve into the complexities of rifampin dosing. They debate whether higher doses improve outcomes and explore toxicity thresholds. The duo also discusses alternative rifamycins and management strategies for patients with complications. Tune in for insights on optimizing treatment through therapeutic drug monitoring, especially for those with concurrent infections.

Drs. Jim Rhodes and Molly Steed join host Jeannette Bouchard to discuss all things related to optimal dosing of daptomycin. This podcast episode provides insight on why dosing matters with this antibiotic, especially with certain organisms (looking at you, E. faecium), why weight matters with dosing, and what that pesky CPK means. Listen to Breakpoints on iTunes, Overcast, Spotify, Listen Notes, Player FM, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Blubrry, RadioPublic, or by using our RSS feed: https://sidp.pinecast.co/  References: Fixed-dose daptomycin in Staphylococcus aureus: doi 10.1002/phar.4602 High dose daptomycin for VRE: doi 10.1093/cid/ciw815 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Erica Stohs, an infectious diseases physician and policy advisor, Dr. Ryan Stevens, a pharmacist specializing in antimicrobial stewardship, and Jayme McRae, a clinical pharmacology consultant, dive into the nuances of antibiotic stewardship. They share best practices for managing outpatient antibiotic use, the importance of clear communication during patient transitions, and innovative strategies like the 'viral RX pad.' The trio also addresses challenges like diagnosing infections in elderly patients and the role of pharmacists in enhancing care.

Join Prof Jason Roberts and Dr. Erin McCreary for this episode dedicated to discussing the results of the BLING III trial, which explored the use of continuous versus intermittent infusion of a beta-lactam antibiotic in critically ill patients. Reference: Continuous vs Intermittent β-Lactam Antibiotic Infusions in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis: The BLING III Randomized Clinical Trial. 10.1001/jama.2024.9779