OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate carbapenem prescription compliance with guidelines for nosocomial and community-acquired infections.
METHODS: We conducted a prospective study over a four-month period at our university hospital. We included all adult and pediatric hospitalized patients who had received at least one dose of carbapenem. Data was collected from patients\' medical records (hard copy and computerized data; CristalLink software). Compliance with guidelines was assessed by two infectious disease specialists. Assessment criteria included indication, antibiotic choice, dosage, and treatment duration.
RESULTS: We included 152 patients in the study (65.4% of men). Carbapenem prescription was appropriate for 76.3% of prescriptions. The use of carbapenems was considered appropriate for 73.9% of empirical prescriptions and for 77.8% of documented prescriptions. Non-compliance with guidelines was mainly due to prescriptions for community-acquired infections. Antibiotic de-escalation could not be initiated in 40.3% of patients and was only initiated in 51.7% of patients for whom it could be considered. Although the average treatment duration was 7.5 days, 23.7% of patients received carbapenems for more than 10 days.
CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need for a strong carbapenem stewardship program in our hospital.

The spread of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae related to the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases is a serious public health problem worldwide. Microbiological diagnosis and therapy of these infections are challenging and controversial. Clinically relevant questions were selected and the literature was reviewed for each of them. The information from the selected articles was extracted and recommendations were provided and graded according to the strength of the recommendations and quality of the evidence. The document was opened to comments from the members from the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, which were considered for inclusion in the final version. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for the use of microbiological techniques for the detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases in Enterobacteriaceae, and for antibiotic therapy for invasive/severe infections caused by these organisms. The absence of randomised controlled trials is noteworthy; thus, recommendations are mainly based on observational studies (that have important methodological limitations), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics models, and data from animal studies. Additionally, areas for future research were identified.

The spread of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae related to the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases is a serious public health problem worldwide. Microbiological diagnosis and therapy of these infections are challenging and controversial. After the selection of clinically relevant questions, this document provides evidence-based recommendations for the use of microbiological techniques for the detection of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, and for antibiotic therapy for invasive infections caused by these organisms. The absence of randomized-controlled trials is noteworthy, thus recommendations are mainly based on observational studies, that have important methodological limitations, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics models, and data from animal studies. Additionally, areas for future research were identified.