Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T07:06:01.688Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Antimicrobial Cycling: Lessons Learned From the Aminoglycoside Experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Dale N. Gerding*
Affiliation:
Lakeside Division, VA Chicago Healthcare System, Chicago, Illinois, and Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois
*
Medical Service, Lakeside Division, VA Chicago Healthcare System, 333 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611

Abstract

Several discrete strategies have been suggested to prevent or reduce microbial resistance to antimicrobials, including optimal use of the agents (also known as good stewardship); control, removal, or restriction of antimicrobials; use of antimicrobials in combination; and rotational or cyclic use of antimicrobials. The latter strategy is attractive because it periodically removes from the institutional environment certain classes or specific agents that could induce or select resistance. Hospitalwide studies of aminoglycoside substitution employed from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, although not originally intended to test cycling or rotation of aminoglycosides, serendipitously provided data that may be useful in designing future studies. In particular, one 10-year study at the Minneapolis Veterans' Affairs Medical Center (MVAMC) rotated amikacin and gentamicin use over cycles of 12 to 51 months' duration. Significantly reduced resistance to gentamicin was found when amikacin was used, but resistance to gentamicin returned with the first gentamicin recycle. This was followed by reintroduction of amikacin a second time with decreased resistance to gentamicin and, finally, a second reintroduction of gentamicin without resistance to it recurring. Thus, some evidence of proof of principal can be garnered, albeit subject to considerable criticism. Critical examination of the design of the aminoglycoside rotation study and the unforeseen pitfalls is provided as a 13-element guidance list for design of future rotational studies. Rotational usage practices are likely to be most appropriate for drugs active against gram-negative bacilli because of the wide choices available for rotation. Future availability of new agents active against resistant gram-positive organisms will present the opportunity to cycle these agents as vancomycin substitutes. Careful monitoring of clinical outcomes and resistance will be required. Multicenter controlled trials that follow carefully designed protocols are most likely to produce statistically significant and clinically meaningful results.

Type
Review
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Shlaes, DM, Gerding, DN, John, JF Jr, Craig, WA, Bornstein, DL, Duncan, RA, et al. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Infectious Diseases Society of America Joint Committee on the Prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance: Guidelines for the Prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance in Hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1997;18:275291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.McGowan, JE Jr. Antimicrobial resistance in hospital organisms and its relation to antibiotic use. Rev lnfed Dis 1983;5:10331048.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.McGowan, JE Jr. Do intensive hospital antibiotic control programs prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1994;15:478483.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.McGowan, JE Jr, Gerding, DN. Does antibiotic restriction prevent resistance? New Horiz 1997;4:370376.Google Scholar
5.US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Initial therapy for tuberculosis in the era of multidrug resistance: recommendations of the Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis. MMWR 1993;42(RR-7):18.Google Scholar
6.Carpenter, CC, Fischi, MA, Hammer, SM, Hirsch, MS, Jacobsen, DM, Katzenstein, DA, et al. Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in 1997: updated recommendations of the International AIDS Society—USA panel. JAMA 1997;277:19621969.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Chow, JW, Fine, MJ, Shlaes, DM, Quinn, JP, Hooper, DC, Johnson, MP, et al. Enterobacter bacteremia: clinical features and emergence of antibiotic resistance during therapy. Ann Intern Med 1991;115:585590.Google Scholar
8.Gerding, DN. Will rotational antimicrobial use lead to prevention of or decrease in antimicrobial resistance? In: van der Meer, JWM, Verbrugh, HA, eds. Novel Strategies Against Pathogenic Organisms. Proceedings of the 10th Kurhaus Workshop on Infectious Diseases. Scheveningen, The Netherlands, March 14, 1997. Rijswijk, The Netherlands: SmithKline Beecham Pharma b.v.; 1998:7787.Google Scholar
9.McGowan, JE Jr. Minimizing antimicrobial resistance in hospital bacteria: can switching or cycling drugs help? Infect Control 1986;7:573576.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Gerding, DN, Larson, TA, Hughes, RA, Weiler, M, Shanholtzer, C, Peterson, LR. Aminoglycoside resistance and aminoglycoside usage: ten years of experience in one hospital. Antimkrob Agents Chemother 1991;35:12841290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Betts, RF, Valenti, WM, Chapman, SW, Chonmaitree, T, Mowrer, G, Pincus, P, et al. Five-year surveillance of aminoglycoside usage in a university hospital. Ann Intern Med 1984;100:219222.Google Scholar
12.Gerding, DN, Larson, TA. Aminoglycoside resistance in gram-negative bacilli during increased amikacin use. Am J Med 1985;79(suppl 1A):17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Mayer, KH. Review of epidemic aminoglycoside resistance worldwide. Am J Med 1986;80(suppl 6B):5664.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Davies, J, Courvalin, P. Mechanisms of resistance to aminoglycosides. Am J Med 1977;62:2529.Google Scholar
15.Young, EJ, Sewell, CM, Koza, MA, Clarridge, JE. Antibiotic resistance patterns during aminoglycoside restriction. Am J Med Sci 1985;290:223227.Google Scholar
16.Saravolatz, LD, Arking, L, Pohlod, D, Fisher, EJ, Borer, R. An outbreak of gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: analysis of control measures. Infect Control 1984;5:7984.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Bamberger, DM, Dahl, SL. Impact of voluntary vs enforced compliance of third-generation cephalosporin use in a teaching hospital. Arch Intern Med 1992;152:554557.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Berk, SL, Alvarez, S, Ortega, G, Verghese, A, Holtsclaw-Berk, SAClinical and microbiological consequences of amikacin use during a 42-month period. Arch Intern Med 1986;146:538541.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed