Why carry out this study?

Historically, colistin has been infrequently prescribed due to associated nephrotoxicity, but has recently been used more frequently for resistant pathogens, as it is the only generic antibiotic demonstrating reliable in vitro activity against some pathogens, such as A. baumannii.

Limited clinical experience of newer antibiotics to treat carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infection (GNI) suggests a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI).

The objectives of this study were to assess acute kidney injury and in-hospital mortality among patients receiving colistin or a new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor to treat a severe Gram-negative infection in a large population-based dataset.

What was learned from the study?

A large retrospective cohort study of the Premier Healthcare Database revealed that patients receiving colistin to treat Gram-negative infections had higher odds of mortality and acute kidney injury than those receiving a β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor.

Utilizing newer, less toxic antibiotics to treat severe antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative infections could have significant implications for healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality.