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Background: Ceftazidime/avibactam is a new cephalosporin/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination approved in 2015 by the FDA for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infection, hospital-acquired pneumoniae and Gram-negative infections with limited treatment options. Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluate the efficacy of ceftazidime/avibactam treatment in 81 patients with Gram-negative infection treated in our center from January 2018 to December 2019. The outcome evaluated was 30-days survival or relapse of infection after the first positive blood culture. Results: the majority of patients were 56 male (69%), with median age of 67. Charlson’s Comorbidity Index was >3 in 58 patients. In total, 46% of the patients were admitted into the medical unit, 41% in the ICU, and 14% in the surgical ward. Of the patients, 78% had nosocomial infections, and 22% had healthcare-related infections. The clinical failure rate was 35%: 13 patients died within 30 days from the onset of infection. The outcome was influenced by the clinical condition of the patients: solid organ transplantation (p = 0.003) emerged as an independent predictor of mortality; non-survival patients most frequently had pneumonia (p = 0.009) or mechanical ventilation (p = 0.049). Conclusion: Ceftazidime−avibactam showed high efficacy in infections caused by MDR Gram-negative pathogens with limited therapeutic options.

Dalbavancin is a lipoglycopeptide approved for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety in all patients who received at least one administration of dalbavancin., Methods: We carried out a retrospective study of the use of dalbavancin in 55 patients at the Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Umberto I (Ancona, Italy) from February 2017 to May 2020 and compared "on label" and "off label" use of dalbavancin in ABSSSI and non-ABSSSI., Results: A total of 55 patients were included in the study. The median age was 61 years; 51% had ABSSSI; 24% had prosthetic joint infections, and 14% had osteomyelitis. A total of 53% received a single 1500 mg infusion of dalbavancin, and 18% received a second dose 14 days later; 24% of patients received further doses at 14-day intervals. In 91% of cases, patients achieved clinical objectives with dalbavancin: 96% of patients with ABSSSI and 69% of those with prosthetic joint infections., Conclusions: Dalbavancin was shown to have an excellent tolerability profile and to be a highly successful therapeutic approach even in those cases treated "off-label".

Tomography of the right upper quadrant after the rapid intravenous infusion of a high dose of contrast medium is a valuable method of investigation of hepato-biliary disease. Gall-bladder wall opacification may be normal, but if the wall is thicker than 2 mm and if irregular, it indicates inflammatory or calculous disease. Gall-bladder area greater than 35 cm2 indicates bile duct obstruction. This also causes the ducts to appear as lucent bands within the opacified liver parenchyma. Secondary deposits in the liver may also become visible. Various patterns of these findings are described which suggest specific biliary abnormalities.