The detection of multi-resistant bacterial pathogens, particularly those to carbapenemases, in leukemic and stem cell transplant patients forces the use of old or non-conventional agents as the only remaining treatment options. These include colistin/polymyxin B, tigecycline, fosfomycin and various anti-gram-positive agents. Data on the use of these agents in leukemic patients are scanty, with only linezolid subjected to formal trials. The Expert Group of the 4 th European Conference on Infections in Leukemia has developed guidelines for their use in these patient populations. Targeted therapy should be based on (i) in vitro susceptibility data, (ii) knowledge of the best treatment option against the particular species or phenotype of bacteria, (iii) pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data, and (iv) careful assessment of the risk-benefit balance. For infections due to resistant Gram-negative bacteria, these agents should be preferably used in combination with other agents that remain active in vitro, because of suboptimal efficacy (e.g., tigecycline) and the risk of emergent resistance (e.g., fosfomycin). The paucity of new antibacterial drugs in the near future should lead us to limit the use of these drugs to situations where no alternative exists.
ABSTRACT
© F e r r a t a S t o r t i F o u n d a t i o n 2 0 1 3organizing committee and experts were solicited to form the working group. The group reviewed the published English-language literature and prepared proposals on treatment options for infections due to resistant bacteria. Papers for review were sought using PubMed with the terms "linezolid", "daptomycin", "quinupristin/ dalfopristin", "colistin or polymyxin", "tigecycline", "fosfomycin", "telavancin", "ceftaroline" AND "stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplant or leukemia or hematological malignancy or cancer". References cited in the articles identified were also considered. In respect of 'Duration of therapy', the main search terms used were "antibiotic therapy"; "stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplantation or hematological malignancy or cancer"; "febrile neutropenia" and "duration therapy", "discontinuation antibiotics" and "microbiologically documented infection".
Definitions of resistanceA bacterial isolate was considered non-susceptible if it was categorized resistant, intermediate or non-susceptible when using clinical breakpoints of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Definitions of 'MDR' vary among authors and usually presume resistance to at least two antibiotics used in empiric therapy (3 rd 4 th -generation cephalosporins, carbapenems or piperacillin/tazobactam) or resistance to at least three of the following antibiotic classes: antipseudomonal penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. [11][12][13][14][15] According to the recent definition of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control...