Short Course Antibiotic Therapy for Catheter-Related Septic Thrombosis: “Caveat Emptor!”: Duration of Therapy Should Not Be Set <i>a Priori</i>

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence showing no significant difference in clinical outcomes in patients with uncomplicated Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSIs) receiving 7 or 14 days of therapy. However, the scenario may differ when complicated forms of BSI, such as catheter-related BSIs (CRBSIs) burdened by septic thrombosis (ST), are considered. A recent study showed that a short course of antimicrobial therapy (≤3 weeks) had similar outcomes to a prolonged course on CRBSI-ST. From this perspective, starting from the desirable goal of shortening the treatment duration, we discuss how the path to the correct diagnosis and management of CRBSI-ST may be paved with several challenges. Indeed, patients with ST due to Gram-negative bacteria display prolonged bacteremia despite an indolent clinical course, requiring an extended course of antibiotic treatment guided by negative FUBCs results, which should be considered the real driver of the decision-making process establishing the length of antibiotic therapy in CRBSI-ST. Shortening treatment of complicated CRBSIs burdened by ST is ambitious and advisable; however, a dynamic and tailored approach driven by a tangible outcome such as negative FUBCs rather than a fixed-duration paradigm should be implemented for the optimal antimicrobial duration.

Keywords

• septic thrombosis (ST)
• catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs)
• follow-up blood culture (FUBC)
• treatment duration