Narrative Review of the Epidemiology of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are the most common healthcare-associated infections, with rates varying between countries. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among common HAP/VAP pathogens has been reported, and multidrug resistance (MDR) is of further concern across Middle Eastern countries. This narrative review summarizes the incidence and pathogens associated with HAP/VAP in hospitals across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. A PubMed literature search was limited to available data on HAP or VAP in patients of any age published within the past 10 years. Reviews, non-English language articles, and studies not reporting HAP/VAP data specific to a GCC country were excluded. Overall, 41 articles, a majority of which focused on VAP, were selected for inclusion after full-text screening. Studies conducted over multiple years showed a general reduction in VAP rates over time, with Gram-negative bacteria the most commonly reported pathogens. Gram-negative isolates reported across GCC countries included Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Rates of AMR varied widely among studies, and MDR among A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus isolates was commonly reported. In Saudi Arabia, between 2015 and 2019, rates of carbapenem resistance among Gram-negative bacteria were 19-25%; another study (2004-2009) reported antimicrobial resistance rates in Acinetobacter species (60-89%), P. aeruginosa (13-31%), and Klebsiella species (100% ampicillin, 0-13% other antimicrobials). Although limited genotype data were reported, OXA-48 was found in ≥ 68% of patients in Saudi Arabia with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections. Ventilator utilization ratios varied across studies, with rates up to 0.9 reported in patients admitted to adult medical/surgical intensive care units in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. VAP remains a burden across GCC countries albeit with decreases in rates over time. Evaluation of prevention and treatment measures and implementation of a surveillance program could be useful for the management of HAP and VAP.

Evaluation of the in vitro activity of ceftaroline, ceftazidime/avibactam and comparator antimicrobial agents against clinical isolates from paediatric patients in Kuwait: ATLAS data 2012-19.

Objectives: To report antimicrobial resistance data for Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens isolated from paediatric patients in three hospitals in Kuwait during 2012-19. Methods: In vitro activity of antimicrobials against isolates from documented infections was determined using CLSI broth microdilution method and breakpoints at a central laboratory. Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were screened for ß-lactamases using multiplex PCR assays. Phenotypic determination of resistance in Haemophilus influenzae and Gram-positive isolates was performed using standard methodologies. Results: Among 515 Enterobacterales isolates, 29.3% were ESBL-positive; susceptibility was highest to amikacin, ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem (≥97.4%), regardless of ESBL status. CTX-M-15 was identified in 87.1% of ESBL-positive Escherichia coli and 84.2% of ESBL-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. Of 111 P. aeruginosa isolates, 9.9% were MDR and 12.6% meropenem-resistant (MEM-R). Amikacin and ceftazidime/avibactam had the highest susceptibility rates in the overall group (≥92.8%), with reduced rates among MDR and MEM-R isolates. All 269 MRSA and 180 MSSA isolates were susceptible to daptomycin, linezolid, teicoplanin, tigecycline and vancomycin. All MSSA and 99.3% of MRSA were ceftaroline susceptible. All 168 pneumococcal isolates were susceptible to ceftaroline, linezolid, tigecycline and vancomycin. H. influenzae and Streptococcus pyogenes ceftaroline susceptibility rates were ≥93.3% and ≥95.6%. Conclusions: Most isolates of Enterobacterales (including resistant phenotypes) and P. aeruginosa from Kuwait during 2012-19 were susceptible to ceftazidime/avibactam. Ceftaroline was active against most Gram-positive isolates, including resistant phenotypes, and ESBL-negative Enterobacterales. These results indicate that novel antibiotics such as ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftaroline represent valuable treatment options for paediatric infections, including those caused by MDR organisms.

Planning implants crown down--a systematic quality control for proof of concept.

PURPOSE: We evaluated an innovative approach for conventional surgical or transmucosal implantation applying backward planning with bone oriented crown down implant positions, followed by immediate restoration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our workflow combined computer-assisted preoperative planning with the well-known intraoperative handling of surgical templates. To guarantee optimal accuracy, the complete process was bone borne, not soft tissue borne. Furthermore, in this concept, the definite prosthesis was manufactured on a plaster cast and fixed with technical implants inserted into the model using the same drilling template applied for intraoperative guidance of the drill. This bone-based workflow avoids the accumulation of errors throughout all steps of the treatment. In the present study, we have provided a concise quantitative quality control using 4 in vivo implants. This goal was accomplished by image matching of the preoperative plan with the corresponding postoperative computed tomography scan, applying descriptive statistics, the 1-sample t test, and the Student t test. RESULTS: Statistical evaluation showed that the bone-borne drilling template provides sufficient accuracy for immediate restoration with the definite prosthesis at the end of the operation. Deviation in the apex plane was 0.8 ± 0.42 mm, with 0.33 at the maximum. The angular deviation was 3.18° ± 0.78°. CONCLUSIONS: Our workflow is a promising approach with respect to handling, accuracy, and intraoperative safety.