Infectious Disease Frontier

Infective Endocarditis (IE) is a serious infectious cardiac condition. With advancements in medical technology, there have been significant changes in the diagnosis and treatment paradigms for IE. At the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2024), Infection Medicine Online had the privilege of interviewing Professor Maria Nazarena Pizzi from Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona. Not only is Professor Pizzi a distinguished cardiologist, but she also participated in the update of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on endocarditis. In this interview, Professor Pizzi shared her expert insights on the updates to the 2023 ESC endocarditis guidelines, the application of imaging technologies, and the value of molecular diagnostic techniques

Prof. Etienne Ruppé, a professor of bacteriology at the Université Paris Cité and researcher at the IAME unit, is conducting a study on the impact of β-lactam antibiotics on the gut microbiota. His research primarily focuses on ceftriaxone, piperacillin-tazobactam, and ceftazidime-avibactam, uncovering significant findings regarding the differential impacts and lasting effects of these antibiotics on gut microbial communities. We interviewed Prof. Ruppé to discuss his research findings and their potential implications for antibiotic therapy and microbial health.

In the dynamic field of infectious diseases, guidelines must adapt to reflect ongoing research and technological advancements to ensure the highest standards of patient care. The 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the diagnosis of endocarditis mark a significant advancement in how clinicians approach this complex disease. To gain deeper insights into these important changes, Infectious Disease Frontier interviewed Dr. Maria Nazarena Pizzi, a leading cardiologist and expert in cardiac imaging at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Pizzi, with her extensive involvement in the development of these guidelines, shares her valuable perspective on their implications for clinical practice

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a severe systemic infection, especially with multidrug-resistant bacteria such as carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative organisms (CRO), posing a significant threat to patient safety. Clinical management of BSI faces numerous challenges, with early diagnosis and precise treatment being crucial for improving patient outcomes. At the recent 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2024), V. Anton-Vazquez and colleagues from St. George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the UK presented a study titled "Clinical Outcomes and Factors Associated with Optimal Antibiotic Therapy in Gram-Negative BSI: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Comparative Study between Rapid and Conventional Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing." Infection Medicine has invited Professor Chongjie Pang  from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital to provide an in-depth commentary on this study, asking him to further elucidate its clinical significance and value based on his clinical experience.

Cefiderocol is a novel siderophore cephalosporin antibiotic with excellent stability against nearly all β-lactamases, including metalloenzymes. It has demonstrated good clinical efficacy against infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRO), garnering significant attention from experts in the field of infectious diseases. At the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2024), a multicenter, open-label randomized study (abstract number: O0810) compared the efficacy of cefiderocol with standard therapy in treating healthcare-associated and hospital-acquired Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI). "Infectious Disease Frontier" invited Professor YongHong Xiao from The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine to provide professional commentary on this study, analyzing the potential and prospects of cefiderocol in treating Gram-negative BSI.

Infection remains a major challenge for recipients of solid organ transplants (SOT), leading to serious risks of mortality and transplant failure. Previous research has primarily focused on the characteristics and prevention of infections within the first year post-surgery, with limited data on long-term infections beyond one year post-surgery. At the recent 34th European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2024 Annual Meeting, a large-scale follow-up study from Switzerland reported that SOT recipients still face a high incidence of infections and disease burden beyond one year post-surgery.

From April 27th to 30th, 2024, the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2024) took place in Barcelona, Spain, known as the "Pearl of the Iberian Peninsula." ESCMID Global, formerly known as ECCMID, stands as one of the most influential international conferences in the field of infectious diseases. Often, clinical trials of antibiotics exclude special populations such as obese or underweight individuals, resulting in limited evidence for their treatment strategies. At this conference, several studies and advancements regarding antibiotic management and prescription, including interventions, monitoring, influences, decision support/predictive tools, and behavioral aspects, were reported. Below is a summary of the insights shared by Professor Wenxiang Huang from the Department of Geriatrics at The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.

Editor's Note: Traditional microbiology laboratory methods such as Gram staining and antimicrobial susceptibility testing still rely on manual interpretation of results and report generation. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)…

In low- and middle-income countries, the health of newborns faces numerous challenges, with neonatal sepsis being a particularly grave concern. At the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2024), a study (abstract number: O0158) focused on the threat posed by Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) to newborn health. These bacteria, increasingly reported in low- and middle-income countries, exhibit insensitivity to multiple commonly used antibiotics, complicating treatment. Professor Qing Cao from the Shanghai Children's Medical Center, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, provides a detailed commentary on this study, sharing her professional insights and recommendations.

Anthrax is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis infection, which still occurs sporadically in some areas of China. Anthrax can manifest in various clinical forms, with pulmonary anthrax having a mortality rate of over 80% and requiring management as a Class A infectious disease. In order to further standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of anthrax, the National Health Commission issued the "Anthrax Diagnosis and Treatment Plan (2023 Edition)." At the recent Fourth National Congress of the Chinese Society of Infectious Diseases (BISC 2024), Professor Junyan Qu, the secretary-general of the conference and from the Infectious Diseases Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, interpreted the diagnosis and treatment plan based on case studies. The summary is presented below.