Quantifying combined effects of colistin and ciprofloxacin against Escherichia coli in an in silico pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model.

Co-administering a low dose of colistin (CST) with ciprofloxacin (CIP) may improve the antibacterial effect against resistant Escherichia coli, offering an acceptable benefit-risk balance. This study aimed to quantify the interaction between ciprofloxacin and colistin in an in silico pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model from in vitro static time-kill experiments (using strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations, MICCIP 0.023-1 mg/L and MICCST 0.5-0.75 mg/L). It was also sought to demonstrate an approach of simulating concentrations at the site of infection with population pharmacokinetic and whole-body physiologically based pharmacokinetic models to explore the clinical value of the combination when facing more resistant strains (using extrapolated strains with lower susceptibility). The combined effect in the final model was described as the sum of individual drug effects with a change in drug potency: for ciprofloxacin, concentration at half maximum killing rate (EC50) in combination was 160% of the EC50 in monodrug experiments, while for colistin, the change in EC50 was strain-dependent from 54.1% to 119%. The benefit of co-administrating a lower-than-commonly-administrated colistin dose with ciprofloxacin in terms of drug effect in comparison to either monotherapy was predicted in simulated bloodstream infections and pyelonephritis. The study illustrates the value of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling and simulation in streamlining rational development of antibiotic combinations.

The language of antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance is blocking global collective action.

Sustainable access to effective antibiotics is a foundational need for functioning health care that is increasingly threatened by antibiotic resistance. Although resistance has been known as long as antibiotics have been in clinical use, there are still multiple gaps in the global and local responses. One often cited cause for this complacency is the language that is used to describe the problem and its consequences. In this paper, we survey some examples of the current discussions around antibiotic resistance and seek to offer a path towards unified and understandable messaging that is relevant both to the public and policymakers by using narratives that highlight the individual and societal consequences of antibiotic resistance. Major shortcomings in the current language that hamper both the understanding of antibiotic resistance and needed behaviour change have been identified in scientific papers and special reports. These shortcomings range from terminology that is difficult to understand, through a lack of personal relevance, to a fragmented response in the policy field. We propose that scientists, including behaviour change experts, and other key stakeholders that are engaged in the issue take lead to agreement on the core scientific facts and to formulate a vision that can be a foundation for creation of consistent global narratives. These narratives must in turn be adapted to local contexts. Development of such narratives should be viewed as an essential component in national action plans on AMR to raise awareness, empower citizens and incentivise societal behaviour change, policy development and implementation of governance structures.

Equitable Access to Antibiotics: A Core Element and Shared Global Responsibility for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.

Securing equitable antibiotic access as an essential component for health system resilience and pandemic preparedness requires a systems perspective. This article discusses key components that need to be coordinated and paired with adequate financing and resources to ensure antibiotic effectiveness as a global public good, which should be central while discussing a new global agreement.

Resetting the agenda for antibiotic resistance through a health systems perspective.

Although the individual and societal consequences of antibiotic resistance spiral upwards, coordinated action has not kept pace on a global scale. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for resilient health systems and has resulted in an unprecedented rate of collaboration in scientific, medical, social, and political dimensions. The pandemic has also created a renewed awareness of the importance of infectious diseases and is a substantial entry point for reigniting the momentum towards containing the silent pandemic of antibiotic resistance. In this Viewpoint, we discuss the limitations in the current narrative on antibiotic resistance and how it could be improved, including concerted efforts to close essential data gaps. We discuss the need for capacity building and coordination at the national and global levels to strengthen the understanding of the importance of sustainable access to effective antibiotics for all health systems that could generate tangible links to current processes for global health and development.

Predicting mutant selection in competition experiments with ciprofloxacin-exposed Escherichia coli.

Predicting competition between antibiotic-susceptible wild-type (WT) and less susceptible mutant (MT) bacteria is valuable for understanding how drug concentrations influence the emergence of resistance. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models predicting the rate and extent of takeover of resistant bacteria during different antibiotic pressures can thus be a valuable tool in improving treatment regimens. The aim of this study was to evaluate a previously developed mechanism-based PK/PD model for its ability to predict in vitro mixed-population experiments with competition between Escherichia coli (E. coli) WT and three well-defined E. coli resistant MTs when exposed to ciprofloxacin. Model predictions for each bacterial strain and ciprofloxacin concentration were made for in vitro static and dynamic time-kill experiments measuring CFU (colony forming units)/mL up to 24 h with concentrations close to or below the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), as well as for serial passage experiments with concentrations well below the MIC measuring ratios between the two strains with flow cytometry. The model was found to reasonably well predict the initial bacterial growth and killing of most static and dynamic time-kill competition experiments without need for parameter re-estimation. With parameter re-estimation of growth rates, an adequate fit was also obtained for the 6-day serial passage competition experiments. No bacterial interaction in growth was observed. This study demonstrates the predictive capacity of a PK/PD model and further supports the application of PK/PD modelling for prediction of bacterial kill in different settings, including resistance selection.

Lessons learnt during 20 years of the Swedish strategic programme against antibiotic resistance.

Increasing use of antibiotics and rising levels of bacterial resistance to antibiotics are a challenge to global health and development. Successful initiatives for containing the problem need to be communicated and disseminated. In Sweden, a rapid spread of resistant pneumococci in the southern part of the country triggered the formation of the Swedish strategic programme against antibiotic resistance, also known as Strama, in 1995. The creation of the programme was an important starting point for long-term coordinated efforts to tackle antibiotic resistance in the country. This paper describes the main strategies of the programme: committed work at the local and national levels; monitoring of antibiotic use for informed decision-making; a national target for antibiotic prescriptions; surveillance of antibiotic resistance for local, national and global action; tracking resistance trends; infection control to limit spread of resistance; and communication to raise awareness for action and behavioural change. A key element for achieving long-term changes has been the bottom-up approach, including working closely with prescribers at the local level. The work described here and the lessons learnt could inform countries implementing their own national action plans against antibiotic resistance.

L'utilisation croissante d'antibiotiques et l'augmentation de la résistance bactérienne aux antibiotiques constituent un défi pour le développement et la santé mondiaux. Il est nécessaire de communiquer et de diffuser les initiatives qui parviennent à contenir ce problème. En Suède, la propagation rapide de pneumocoques résistants dans le sud du pays en 1995 a conduit à la formation du Programme stratégique suédois contre la résistance aux antibiotiques, également connu sous le nom de Strama. La création de ce programme a été un point de départ important pour coordonner des efforts sur le long terme afin de lutter contre la résistance aux antibiotiques dans le pays. Cet article décrit les principales stratégies du programme: engagement aux niveaux local et national; suivi de l'utilisation d'antibiotiques afin de prendre des décisions en connaissance de cause; objectif national de prescription d'antibiotiques; surveillance de la résistance aux antibiotiques pour agir au niveau local, national et mondial; observation des tendances de résistance; lutte contre les infections afin de limiter la progression de la résistance; communication afin d'inciter à l'action et au changement des comportements. L'adoption d'une démarche ascendante a été un élément clé pour favoriser les changements à long terme, notamment la collaboration étroite avec les prescripteurs au niveau local. Le travail qui est décrit ici et les enseignements tirés pourraient aider les pays à mettre en œuvre leur propre plan d'action national contre la résistance aux antibiotiques.

El creciente uso de antibióticos y el aumento de los niveles de resistencia bacteriana a los antibióticos son un desafío para la salud y el desarrollo mundiales. Es necesario comunicar y difundir iniciativas de éxito para contener el problema. En Suecia, una rápida propagación de neumococos resistentes en el sur del país desencadenó la formación del programa estratégico sueco contra la resistencia a los antibióticos, también conocido como Strama, en 1995. La creación del programa fue un importante punto de partida de los esfuerzos coordinados a largo plazo para combatir la resistencia a los antibióticos en el país. En este artículo se describen las principales estrategias del programa: labores dedicadas a nivel local y nacional, supervisión del uso de antibióticos para tomar decisiones fundamentadas, un objetivo nacional para las recetas de antibióticos, vigilancia de la resistencia a los antibióticos para la acción local, nacional y global; seguimiento de las tendencias de resistencia, control de las infecciones para reducir la propagación de la resistencia y comunicación para sensibilizar sobre las medidas y el cambio de comportamiento. Un elemento clave para conseguir cambios a largo plazo ha sido en enfoque ascendente, que incluye trabajar estrechamente con los médicos a nivel local. El trabajo aquí descrito y las lecciones aprendidas podrían ofrecer información a los países que implementan sus propios planes de medidas nacionales contra la resistencia a los antibióticos.

Colistin Is Extensively Lost during Standard In Vitro Experimental Conditions.

Colistin adheres to a range of materials, including plastics in labware. The loss caused by adhesion influences an array of methods detrimentally, including MIC assays and in vitro time-kill experiments. The aim of this study was to characterize the extent and time course of colistin loss in different types of laboratory materials during a simulated time-kill experiment without bacteria or plasma proteins present. Three types of commonly used large test tubes, i.e., soda-lime glass, polypropylene, and polystyrene, were studied, as well as two different polystyrene microplates and low-protein-binding microtubes. The tested concentration range was 0.125 to 8 mg/liter colistin base. Exponential one-phase and two-phase functions were fitted to the data, and the adsorption of colistin to the materials was modeled with the Langmuir adsorption model. In the large test tubes, the measured start concentrations ranged between 44 and 102% of the expected values, and after 24 h, the concentrations ranged between 8 and 90%. The half-lives of colistin loss were 0.9 to 12 h. The maximum binding capacities of the three materials ranged between 0.4 and 1.1 µg/cm2, and the equilibrium constants ranged between 0.10 and 0.54 ml/µg. The low-protein-binding microtubes showed start concentrations between 63 and 99% and concentrations at 24 h of between 59 and 90%. In one of the microplates, the start concentrations were below the lower limit of quantification at worst. In conclusion, to minimize the effect of colistin loss due to adsorption, our study indicates that low-protein-binding polypropylene should be used when possible for measuring colistin concentrations in experimental settings, and the results discourage the use of polystyrene. Furthermore, when diluting colistin in protein-free media, the number of dilution steps should be minimized.

Assessment of early combination effects of colistin and meropenem against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii in dynamic time-kill experiments.

BACKGROUND: In view of the paucity of clinical evidence, in vitro studies are needed to find antibiotic combinations effective against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Interpretation of in vitro effects is usually based on bacterial growth after 24 h in time-kill and checkerboard experiments. However, the clinical relevance of the effects observed in vitro is not established. In this study we explored alternative output parameters to assess the activities of colistin and meropenem against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. METHODS: Four strains each of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii were exposed to colistin and meropenem, alone and in combination, in 8 h dynamic time-kill experiments. Initial (1 h), maximum and 8 h bacterial reductions and the area under the bacterial time-kill curve were evaluated. Checkerboards, interpreted based on fractional inhibitory concentration indices after 24 h, were performed for comparison. RESULTS: In the time-kill experiments, the combination resulted in enhanced 1 h, maximum and 8 h bacterial reductions against 2, 3 and 5 of 8 strains, respectively, as compared to the single drugs. A statistically significant reduction in the area under the time-kill curve was observed for three strains. In contrast, the checkerboards did not identify synergy for any of the strains. CONCLUSIONS: Combination effects were frequently found with colistin and meropenem against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii in time-kill experiments but were not detected with the checkerboard method. We propose that the early dynamics of bacterial killing and growth, which may be of great clinical importance, should be considered in future in vitro combination studies.

Evaluation of automated time-lapse microscopy for assessment of in vitro activity of antibiotics.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of a new time-lapse microscopy based method (oCelloScope) to efficiently assess the in vitro antibacterial effects of antibiotics. Two E. coli and one P. aeruginosa strain were exposed to ciprofloxacin, colistin, ertapenem and meropenem in 24-h experiments. Background corrected absorption (BCA) derived from the oCelloScope was used to detect bacterial growth. The data obtained with the oCelloScope were compared with those of the automated Bioscreen C method and standard time-kill experiments and a good agreement in results was observed during 6-24h of experiments. Viable counts obtained at 1, 4, 6 and 24h during oCelloScope and Bioscreen C experiments were well correlated with the corresponding BCA and optical density (OD) data. Initial antibacterial effects during the first 6h of experiments were difficult to detect with the automated methods due to their high detection limits (approximately 105CFU/mL for oCelloScope and 107CFU/mL for Bioscreen C), the inability to distinguish between live and dead bacteria and early morphological changes of bacteria during exposure to ciprofloxacin, ertapenem and meropenem. Regrowth was more frequently detected in time-kill experiments, possibly related to the larger working volume with an increased risk of pre-existing or emerging resistance. In comparison with Bioscreen C, the oCelloScope provided additional information on bacterial growth dynamics in the range of 105 to 107CFU/mL and morphological features. In conclusion, the oCelloScope would be suitable for detection of in vitro effects of antibiotics, especially when a large number of regimens need to be tested.

Forgotten antibiotics: a follow-up inventory study in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.

The objective of this study was to update a 2011 survey, conducted on behalf of the ESCMID Study Group for Antibiotic Policies (ESGAP), studying the availability of old but clinically useful antibiotics in North America, Europe and Australia. This follow-up survey was performed in 2015 in 40 countries among specialists from the pharmaceutical, infectious diseases and microbiology sectors in North America, Europe and Australia in order to assess the availability through usual marketing processes of 36 systemic antibiotics (addition of 3 antibiotics compared with the 2011 survey) selected for their ability to treat infections caused by resistant bacteria and their unique value for specific criteria. The questionnaire was sent by e-mail to national contacts belonging to ESGAP and ReAct networks. In all, 39 of the 40 countries participated in this survey. The number of available antibiotics differed considerably from one drug to another as well as from one country to another (e.g. 7 antibiotics available in Estonia, 24 in France). Overall, 25/36 selected antibiotics were marketed in 20/39 countries or less. From 2011 to 2015 (data available for both periods in 37 countries for 33 antibiotics), the number of available selected antibiotics increased in 13 countries and decreased in 17. In conclusion, despite the ongoing bacterial resistance crisis, the situation regarding the availability of 'forgotten antibiotics' has worsened since 2011. Urgent measures are needed to ensure better availability of these antibiotics on a global scale as a conservation measure to ensure sustainable and responsible use of antibiotics.

A Novel Microfluidic Assay for Rapid Phenotypic Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing of Bacteria Detected in Clinical Blood Cultures.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate antibiotic therapy is critical in the management of severe sepsis and septic shock to reduce mortality, morbidity and health costs. New methods for rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing are needed because of increasing resistance rates to standard treatment. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a novel microfluidic method and the potential to directly apply this method on positive blood cultures. METHODS: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, tigecycline and/or vancomycin for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus were determined using a linear antibiotic concentration gradient in a microfluidic assay. Bacterial growth along the antibiotic gradient was monitored using automated time-lapse photomicrography and growth inhibition was quantified by measuring greyscale intensity changes in the images. In addition to pure culture MICs, vancomycin MICs were determined for S. aureus from spiked and clinical blood cultures following a short centrifugation step. The MICs were compared with those obtained with the Etest and for S. aureus and vancomycin also with macrodilution. RESULTS: The MICs obtained with the microfluidic assay showed good agreement internally as well as with the Etest and macrodilution assays, although some minor differences were noted between the methods. The time to possible readout was within the range of 2 to 5 h. CONCLUSIONS: The examined microfluidic assay has the potential to provide rapid and accurate MICs using samples from positive clinical blood cultures and will now be tested using other bacterial species and antibiotics.

Repeated nationwide point-prevalence surveys of antimicrobial use in Swedish hospitals: data for actions 2003-2010.

This study sought to analyse antimicrobial pressure, indications for treatment, and compliance with treatment recommendations and to identify possible problem areas where inappropriate use could be improved through interventions by the network of the local Swedish Strategic Programme Against Antibiotic Resistance (Strama) groups. Five point-prevalence surveys were performed in between 49 and 72 participating hospitals from 2003 to 2010. Treatments were recorded for 19 predefined diagnosis groups and whether they were for community-acquired infection, hospital-acquired infection, or prophylaxis. Approximately one-third of inpatients were treated with antimicrobials. Compliance with guidelines for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia with narrow-spectrum penicillin was 17.0% during baseline 2003-2004, and significantly improved to 24.2% in 2010. Corresponding figures for quinolone use in uncomplicated cystitis in women were 28.5% in 2003-2004, and significantly improved, decreasing to 15.3% in 2010. The length of surgical prophylaxis improved significantly when data for a single dose and 1 day were combined, from 56.3% in 2003-2004 to 66.6% in 2010. Improved compliance was possibly the effect of active local feedback, repeated surveys, and increasing awareness of antimicrobial resistance. Strama groups are important for successful local implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs in Sweden.