VENA , Antonio

Purpose of review: Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) are a leading cause of morbidity, with a considerable variety of clinical presentation and a wide range of etiological pathogens. Of importance, the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains (i.e. methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or Gram-negative...

Purpose of reviewThe aim of this article is to review skin and soft tissue infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM), with a particular focus on recently published literature (2021-2022).Recent findingsRGM are increasingly reported as a cause of skin and soft tissue infections, both in the community setting and as a cause of...

Purpose of reviewNosocomial infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii currently represent a serious challenge for clinicians because treatment options are limited and frequently associated with significant toxicity. Cefiderocol is a first-in-class siderophore cephalosporin that has a proven efficacy for the treatment of multidrug-resistant...

IntroductionCeftolozane is a cephalosporin similar to ceftazidime in its structure, which is marketed in combination with tazobactam, a well-known & beta;-lactamase inhibitor.Areas coveredAfter a brief introduction on the drug characteristics and efficacy, we focused on available data from randomized controlled trials and post-marketing...

Purpose of review In the present narrative review, we discuss the characteristics and differences between the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) guidelines in terms on their recommendations/suggestions for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and...

During recent years, inappropriate antifungal use has contributed to the global increase in antifungal resistance and has played a role in the shift in the aetiology of invasive fungal infections. Moreover, overuse of antifungals may also lead to higher toxicity associated with unnecessary medication exposure and to increased healthcare costs....

The treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) infections in critically ill patients presents many challenges. Since an effective treatment should be administered as soon as possible, resistance to many antimicrobial classes almost invariably reduces the probability of adequate empirical coverage, with possible...

Purpose of reviewTo discuss empirical therapy for severe infections due to Gram-negative bacteria with difficult-to-treat resistance (GNB-DTR) in current clinical practice, focusing in particular on the positioning of novel therapeutic agents and rapid diagnostic tests.Recent findingsThe current era of novel agents active against GNB-DTR and...

IntroductionInvasive candidiasis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in various categories of patients at risk.Areas coveredStructure and mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, clinical studies, safety, and regulatory status of micafungin are explored in the present review, focusing on pediatric patients...

Purpose of review To discuss the current literature on novel agents for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant nonfermenting Gram-negative bacteria (NF-GNB) infections. Recent findings Some novel agents have recently become available that are expected to replace classical polymyxins as the first-line options for the treatment of...

Purpose of review To summarize the available results of primary analyses from high-quality randomized studies of either recently approved or possible future agents for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). Recent findings In the last 2 decades, several novel agents have been approved for the treatment of...

The clinical spectrum of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) has expanded in recent decades. A large group of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) is indeed susceptible to the development of IPA. Although timely diagnosis and antifungal therapy of IPA in this expanding population is crucial to prevent IPA-related deaths, the...

IntroductionExcessive use of antibiotics has been frequently reported in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 worldwide, compared to the actual number of bacterial co-infections or super-infections.Areas coveredIn this perspective, we discuss the current literature on the use of antibiotics and antimicrobial stewardship interventions in...

Diagnosing people living with chronic viral hepatitis is challenging due to the absence of symptoms as long as liver decompensated cirrhosis come out. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of HBV and/or HCV infections in a non-selected population, hospitalised for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a tertiary care hospital in...

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the best way to find effective and acceptable safe treatments for COVID-19 and any possible future outbreak. However, caution is needed when comparing the number of participants in RCTs with that of patients with COVID-19 treated with compassionate and/or off-label drugs to support the hypothesis that the...

The rising incidence of bloodstream infections (BSI) due to Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) with difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) has been recognized as a global emergency. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, epidemiology and treatment options for BSI caused by GNB with...

Purpose of review: To provide a brief overview of drugs in Phase II and III of development for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), offering insights into potential customized treatment options. Recent findings: Several drugs are currently in advanced stages of evaluation for the treatment of ABSSSI, and...

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) represent one of the most common hospital-acquired infections, carrying a significant morbidity and risk of mortality. Increasing antibiotic resistance among the common bacterial pathogens associated with HAP and VAP, especially Enterobacterales and nonfermenting...

Some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may develop pulmonary bacterial coinfection or superinfection, that could unfavorably impact their prognosis.

In recently updated international guidelines, fidaxomicin is preferentially recommended as first-line treatment over vancomycin both for the first episode of CDI and for rCDI, based on the results of different randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Although noninferiority was the rule in phase-3 RCTs with regard to the primary endpoint of...

Pneumonia is frequently encountered in clinical practice, and Gram-negative bacilli constitute a significant proportion of its aetiology, especially when it is acquired in a hospital setting. With the alarming global rise in multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacilli, antibiotic therapy for treating patients with pneumonia is challenging and...

Purpose of review Serious infections caused by nonfermenting Gram-negative bacteria (NF-GNB) pose a significant challenge for clinicians due to the limited treatment options available, which are frequently associated with issues of toxicity and unfavourable pharmacokinetic profiles. The aim of this review is to provide a brief overview of the...

Purpose of reviewExtended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)- and ampicillinase class C (AmpC)-producing Enterobacterales represent one of the major public threats of the current era. As a consequence, during the last decades there have been great efforts to develop new therapeutic agents against these microorganisms. The aim of this review is to...