The impact of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs on clinical outcomes: an overview of reviews.

Background: Synthesizing data from existing literature is crucial for validating the robustness of associations, assessing data quality, and forming recommendations, especially given the vast amount of information available on SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to conduct an overview of reviews to evaluate the strength and validity of associations between VOCs and specific clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: An overview of reviews according to the principles of PRIOR protocol was performed searching multiple databases in January 2024 and an updated search was conducted in MEDLINE database in June 2025.

Proactive Therapeutic Drug MONiToring to Guide Suppressive Antibiotic Therapy with DALBAvaNcin ( > 12 weeks) in Osteoarticular Infections (MONTALBANO).

: Long-term dalbavancin use is increasingly adopted off-label for osteoarticular infections (OAIs), but data on administration timing and long-term effects beyond 12 weeks are scarce. This study evaluated the pharmacological efficacy of proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimize dalbavancin administration. : This single-center, retrospective study included adult OAI patients treated with doses of dalbavancin from July 2022 to October 2024.

Effect of body mass index on the timing of therapeutic drug monitoring-guided dalbavancin dosing in patients with osteoarticular infections.

Background: Recently, we documented that proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) allowed the successful individualization of the timing of dalbavancin administration in patients requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment. Here, we aimed to identify variables associated with the timing of TDM-guided dalbavancin dosing in patients who underwent proactive dalbavancin TDM.

Methods: Adult patients who received at least three 1500 mg doses of dalbavancin for osteoarticular infections were included in the study.

Appropriateness of loading dose and TDM in patients treated with teicoplanin: a single-centre observational retrospective cohort study comparing single-daily and thrice-weekly regimens.

Objectives: To assess the appropriateness of teicoplanin loading dose and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in single-daily regimen (SDR) versus thrice-weekly regimen (TWR), and to compare safety and effectiveness.

Methods: This single-centre observational retrospective cohort study included adult patients treated with TDM-based teicoplanin for infections between April 2015 and December 2021. Appropriateness of loading dose and TDM, adverse events (AEs) and clinical outcomes were evaluated.

Mismanagement of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Pre Hospitalisation during the Omicron Era: Antibiotics and Steroids Instead of Early Antivirals.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of inappropriate treatment among hospitalised patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection before hospital admission during the Omicron era. This single-centre, retrospective observational study included all the patients hospitalised because of SARS-CoV-2 infection during three periods characterised by the Italian prevalence of an Omicron variant of concern: (1) January-May 2022 (BA.1-BA.

Neurobrucellosis Presenting with Motor Damage or Hearing Loss, and Use of Steroids are Associated with a Higher Risk of Sequelae or Relapse: A Systematic Review of Individual Participant Data.

Background: Neurobrucellosis presents diverse clinical challenges and risks of long-term complications.

Objective: We aimed to assess the relationship between the duration of antibiotic therapy, clinical factors, and the outcome of neurobrucellosis with a case report combined with a systematic review of the literature.

Methods: We present a case of a 31 years-old man successfully treated at our Institution.

Major Bleeding Events in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Thromboprophylaxis/anticoagulation treatment is often required in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of major bleeding events in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This was a retrospective observational study including all COVID-19 hospitalized patients ≥18 years of age at one reference center in northern Italy.

Phage Therapy for Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices and Vascular Grafts: A Targeted Literature Review.

Infections of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and vascular grafts are some of the most dreaded complications of these otherwise life-saving devices. Many of these infections are not responsive to conventional treatment, such as systemic antibiotics and surgical irrigation and debridement. Therefore, innovative strategies to prevent and manage these conditions are warranted.

Traditional Cultures versus Next Generation Sequencing for Suspected Orthopedic Infection: Experience Gained from a Reference Centre.

(Background) The diagnosis and the antimicrobial treatment of orthopedic infection are challenging, especially in cases with culture-negative results. New molecular methods, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), promise to overcome some limitations of the standard culture, such as the detection of difficult-to-grow bacteria. However, data are scarce regarding the impact of molecular techniques in real-life scenarios.

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole significantly reduces the risk of nocardiosis in solid organ transplant recipients: systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Whether trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis prevents nocardiosis in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients is controversial.

Objectives: To assess the effect of TMP-SMX in the prevention of nocardiosis after SOT, its dose-response relationship, its effect on preventing disseminated nocardiosis, and the risk of TMP-SMX resistance in case of breakthrough infection.

Methods: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Rifampin Based Therapy for Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) caused by Staphylococcus aureus is associated with high risk of treatment failure and increased morbidity. The role of rifampin-based therapy for the treatment of this condition is controversial. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to explore the efficacy and safety of rifampin-based therapy for the treatment of S.

in spine tissue: characteristics and outcomes of non-hardware-associated vertebral osteomyelitis.

isolation from spine tissue can be challenging because the organism can represent a contaminant. There is a paucity of data regarding the role of in non-hardware-associated vertebral osteomyelitis (VO). Herein we evaluate the clinical and microbiological characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with VO.

Functional humoral and cellular response of monovalent COVID-19-vaccines against Omicron BA.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

We designed a prospective study to evaluate the humoral (using a surrogate virus neutralization test) and cellular (using an IFN-γ ELISpot) immune response among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) against Wuhan-Hu-1 and Omicron BA.2 strains of SARS-CoV-2, after mRNA-based vaccination. The proportion of patients with a functional humoral response was higher among untreated CLL patients compared to treated CLL patients against both Wuhan-Hu-1 and Omicron BA.

The use of MRI, PET/CT, and nuclear scintigraphy in the imaging of pyogenic native vertebral osteomyelitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Context: Native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) is a severe infection with an increasing incidence globally. Although there is no widely agreed upon reference standard for diagnosis of the disease, imaging plays a crucial role. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently the imaging modality of choice.

Early switch to oral antibiotic therapy for the treatment of patients with bacterial native vertebral osteomyelitis: a quaternary center experience, systematic review, and meta-analysis.

Recent data suggest that oral therapy can be effective for bone infections. We aim to assess the efficacy of an early switch to oral therapy (  weeks) compared to a non-early switch in bacterial native vertebral osteomyelitis. We conducted a cohort study at Mayo Clinic, Rochester (MN), between 2019-2021 combined with a systematic review, which queried multiple databases.

Mortality among Italians and immigrants with COVID-19 hospitalised in Milan, Italy: data from the Luigi Sacco Hospital registry.

Background: To compare differences in the probability of COVID-19-related death between native Italians and immigrants hospitalised with COVID-19.

Methods: This retrospective study of prospectively collected data was conducted at the ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy, between 21 February and 31 November 2020. Uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the impact of the patients' origin on the probability of COVID-19-related death.

Brief Report: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Virological Suppression in People Living With HIV Attending a Large Italian HIV Clinic.

Background: We assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on HIV suppression rates in people living with HIV (PLWH) attending a large Italian HIV clinic.

Setting: The HIV outpatient clinic of the Infectious Diseases Department of Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy, which serves more than 5000 PLWH per year.

Methods: A before and after quasi-experimental study design was used to make a retrospective assessment of the monthly trend of HIV-RNA determinations of ≥50 among the PLWH attending our clinic, with "before" being the period from January 1, 2016 to February 20, 2020, and "after" being the period from February 21, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (the COVID-19 period).

Emerging drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS: a review of 2019/2020 phase II and III trials.

The study of emerging drug trials to treat people living with HIV (PLWH) helps to understand any advantages and disadvantages of therapies that will be available on the market in the short-term future as well as the mechanisms underlying a better cure. This review analyzes phase 2 and 3 clinical trials published between 2019 and 2020 concerning six different emerging drugs. The majority of the trials focus on long acting drugs, but also on new orally administered compounds.

Short-term inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 by hydrogen peroxide in persistent nasopharyngeal carriers.

Asymptomatic and convalescent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) subjects may carry severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for months in their upper respiratory ways. Desiring to permanently clean the mucosal surfaces, we investigated the chemical agents that fit to rapidly degrade the virus. Among these, hydrogen peroxide, initially tested by two of us for tolerability, showed both good performance and acceptable side effects (burning sensation for 15-20 s).

Disseminated Cryptococcosis in a Patient With Metastatic Prostate Cancer Who Died in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak.

We report the case of a 61-year-old patient with a history of prostate cancer affected by bone metastasis. He presented to our attention for ulcerous and necrotic cutaneous lesions unresponsive to antibiotics. The spread of cutaneous lesions and the onset of neurological symptoms suggested a cryptococcal disease, which was confirmed by lumbar puncture and cutaneous biopsy.