PowerHack

ID pharmacist &Antimicrobial Stewardship by day. Good Boyfriend by night. But always a cool guy.

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

New data support preference for ceftolozane-tazobactam over ceftazidime-avibactam for DTR P. aeruginosa pneumonia #IDXposts

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

👀The next wave of highly anticipated ID studies is coming..
On my radar:
🔹 ASEPTIC RCT
🔹 REMAP CAP -Oseltamivir
🔹 RODEO RCT
🔹 SHORTEN 2 RCT
🔹 PeterPen RCT
🔹 SNAP Platform -Clindamycin
🔹 SOLARIO RCT
🔹 COBRA RCT
🔹 PROCALBAN RCT
Some have already been presented as conference abstracts. Full publications are coming soon.
What's on your radar? #IDXposts

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

▶️💥A decade after the MERINO trial: refusing to grow up? 
Excellent talk by @davidantibiotic
PeterPen vs MERINO
#ESCMIDGlobal2026

[Open Forum Infectious Diseases @OFIDJournal]

Campylobacter spp. bloodstream infections in immunocompetent vs. immunocompromised patients: A Multinational Cohort Study (2009-2024)

✅ Just Accepted
🔗 https://t.co/hZDoNwKSUs

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🔥Our article in EJHP is now published🔥🌟s @drgabx @BradSpellberg

“Universal high-dose meropenem for antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative infections: evidence or overreach?”

We argue that the IDSA AMR guidance recommendation for universal high-dose meropenem (2 g IV q8h as 3h EI) for all infections other than uncomplicated cystitis is largely based on PK/PD extrapolation & expert opinion without supporting clinical outcomes data.
https://t.co/zhFI8w6Bws

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕💥🟢Rapid Microbiological Diagnostics for Sepsis: Narrative Review of Current and Prospective Approaches #idxposts
https://t.co/lRvKn4nhbl

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

One of the most controversial topics in ID these days!
The start of something new in MSSA, recognized from cases of clinical failures, despite a SOC therapy from #ESCMIDGlobal2026
Discordant β-Lactam Susceptibility in clinical SA isolates: BORSA , MODSA, OS-MRSA

[Takahiro Matsuo (Taka), MD @TakaMatsuo_ID]

【Spinal Epidural Abscess】@NEJM Apr 22, 2026

My mentor @MDTande @MayoClinicINFD and team has published epidural abscess in NEJM!

Very useful Figures/Tables!
👉Please check it out!

https://t.co/umw8Ry4SnJ

#IDMedEd #IDFellow #OrthoID #Keyarticle

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕💥🟢Population pharmacokinetics of polymyxin B in critically ill patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections #IDXposts
https://t.co/vaQNgCGEI1

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕⚡🔴 Short Versus Longer Antibiotic Duration for CAP
This target trial emulation compared shorter (3 to 4 days) versus longer (>5 days) antibiotic treatment for hospitalized patients with CAP who were clinically stable by day 3.
Among 55 517 hospitalized patients, 5620 (10.1%) were eligible for short-course treatment, which had similar risk ratios for 30-day mortality, readmission, urgent care, and Clostridioides difficile infection compared with longer-course treatment @BradSpellberg #IDXposts
https://t.co/0BP0jCsn8Y

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕⚡🟢 Narrative Review
Oral fosfomycin tromethamine for UTI: Guidance for clinicians #IDXposts
https://t.co/7ORIzLfyeY

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕🔥🦠 Combination antifungal therapy for invasive aspergillosis
📊 A growing body of preclinical and clinical evidence suggests triazole–echinocandin combinations may reduce mortality — challenging monotherapy dogma.
What's your current practice?
https://t.co/krE5hnb9I8

[Joshua Davis @Josh_S_Davis]

My top 10 ID papers for 2025. Full citations and descriptions available at https://t.co/OZkpBBLhvK

Also see/hear our Communicable podcast episode on this at https://t.co/k64IHQdzcy

What were your top 10? Any thoughts about what I missed welcome!

#IDXposts #Top10papers

[Wataru Hayashi / 林 航 @DraWataru]

Clinical Management of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Review | Infectious Diseases

(https://t.co/usYOYDILj2)

[Alí Sebastian Meza @AliSMV7]

Skin and soft tissue infections: swab or biopsy? A diagnostic dilemma

https://t.co/UJTmC1RgiA

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

Cefepime-taniborbactam has demonstrated reliable activity against Enterobacterales with resistance due to various beta-lactamases including moderate activity against MBL-producing Enterobacterales. Confirmation with susceptibility testing is recommended for cefepime-taniborbactam when treating MBL-producing gram-negative bacilli as some MBLs (VIM) are inhibited better than others (NDM).
FDA rejected NDA for cefepime taniborbactam Feb 2025 requesting additional chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) and related data about the drug, testing methods, and manufacturing process

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

β-lactamases 101 (Ambler classes):
A: ESBLs (CTX-M) & KPC → common in E. coli, Klebsiella; non-carbapenem β-lactams fail.
B: MBLs (NDM/IMP/VIM) → hydrolyze almost all β-lactams; monobactams spared(Aztreonam)
C: AmpC → hydrolyze most penicillins/cephs; cefepime & carbapenems retain activity.
D: OXA carbapenemases ( OXA48)→ hydrolyze carbapenems , key drivers of DTR pathogens.

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕🔥DexEnceph RCT @TheLancetNeuro
53 hospitals in UK
N:94
In adults with HSV encephalitis, IV dexamethasone (10 mg/kg, 4X daily for 4d) + IV aciclovir (10 mg/kg 3X daily for 14d , did not improve the primary outcome of verbal memory at 26 weeks compared with standard treatment with IV aciclovir alone.
Dexamethasone was not associated with harm, was well tolerated, and did not lead to an increased detection of HSV in the CSF at 14 days.
The apparent safety of dexamethasone in HSV encephalitis raises the possibility of early empirical corticosteroid therapy in patients with suspected encephalitis before the cause is established.
Thanks @BennyFdzLpz
Image credit : @RunningMadProf
https://t.co/Wf33Dw4w2a

[Alí Sebastian Meza @AliSMV7]

Defining Sepsis: Past, Present, and Future

🔺If you think is simple, look closer

https://t.co/c0Tgu18wk5

[Alí Sebastian Meza @AliSMV7]

🔺BMJ State of the Art Review: Antimicrobial use and resistance

https://t.co/jhytjhJftw