Optimising the duration of antimicrobial treatment in the era of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs

Abstract

The duration of antimicrobial treatment for bacteremia has changed radically over the last decade, with shorter regimens now being the norm, the duration is now seven days in most cases. This change, which has brought countless clinical and ecological benefits, has been made possible by independent clinical research led by PROA teams in their tireless efforts to improve antimicrobial use and combat AMR. The evidence is so strong in Enterobacterales that it is now considered inappropriate to treat uncomplicated bacteraemia caused by Escherichia coli, for example, for more than seven days. In other cases of bacteremia caused by Gram-negative bacilli, Gram-positive cocci, and Candida spp., clinical trials are needed to establish the optimal duration of antimicrobial treatment with certainty.