Search

Background: The treatment options for pneumonia involving multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR Acb) complex are limited, and the optimal treatment has not been established.Methods: To compare the efficacy of tigecycline-based with sulbactam (or ampicillin/sulbactam)-based therapy for pneumonia involving MDR Acb complex, we conducted a retrospective study comparing 84 tigecycline-treated adult patients during the period August 2007 to March 2010 with 84 sulbactam or ampicillin/sulbactam-treated adult patients during the period September 2004 to July 2007. Both groups had the matched Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and received treatment for at least 7 days.Results: The mean APACHE II score was 20.1 for both groups. More patients in sulbactam group had ventilator use (89.3 % versus 69.0 %), bilateral pneumonia (79.8 % versus 60.7 %) and combination therapy (84.5 % versus 53.6 %), particularly with carbapenems (71.4 % versus 6.0 %), while more patients in tigecycline group had delayed treatment (41.7 % versus 26.2 %) (P <0.05). At the end of treatment, more patients in sulbactam group had airway MDR Acb complex eradication (63.5 % versus 33.3 %, P <0.05). The clinical resolution rate was 66.7 % for both groups. The mortality rate during treatment was 17.9 % in sulbactam group, and 25.0 % in tigecycline group (P = 0.259). The multivariate analysis showed that bilateral pneumonia was the only independent predictor for mortality during treatment (adjusted odds ratio, 2.717; 95 % confidence interval, 1.015 to 7.272).Conclusions: Patients treated with either tigecycline-based or sulbactam-based therapy had a similar clinical outcome, but tigecycline group had a lower microbiological eradiation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Taking antibiotics in strict adherence to physician prescriptions is crucial for maintaining the stability of the drug concentration in the blood and for achieving the best therapeutic effects. The increasing antimicrobial resistance in recent decades has led the Ministry of Health and Welfare to promote the rational use of antibiotics and the use of a computer monitoring system to control the use of antibiotics in hospitals. Although non-adherence is considered as the major factor contributing to antimicrobial resistance, patient non-adherence to antibiotic prescriptions is an issue that has been largely overlooked. This paper explores this issue due to the serious threat from antimicrobial resistance and the few studies that have investigated patient adherence to antibiotic treatments for acute infections in Taiwan. Purpose: The aims of the study include: (1) describe patient's adherence to antibiotic therapy for acute infections and (2) explore the potential factors of influence on antibiotic adherence such as demographics, disease characteristics, and knowledge of antibiotic treatment. Methods: The study used a descriptive correlational design. A convenience sample of 162 patients with acute infections was recruited from outpatient infectious disease clinics in Taoyuan City. Data were collected using the study questionnaire and analyzed using the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression. Results: The study results showed that only 40.1% of patients followed their prescription to take antibiotics completely. The remainder earned lower scores than their prescription-adhering counterparts for knowledge regarding the effects of antibiotics (U = 2654.5, p = .046). Results of logistic regression showed that knowledge regarding the effects of antibiotics was the most significant predictor (B = .481, p = .046) of adherence to antibiotic therapies. Conclusion: Non-adherence to prescriptions is prevalent in short-term antibiotic treatments prescribed for acute infections. This finding reminds healthcare providers to provide proper education to the recipients of antibiotic treatments, even those treated for a very short duration for acute infections in outpatient settings. Special attention should be pay to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of patients for the therapeutic effects of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]