Thursday, January 5, 2017

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat! Caftazidime-Avibactam for CRE Infections- The Jaws Analogy

I like it when a scientific paper has en element of wit and is not so dry and formulaic.

In the editorial accompanying a clinical outcomes paper assessing ceftazidime-avibactam for the treatment of patient with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infection, the authors reference the film Jaws. 

When the experienced shark hunter , Chief Brody, catches his first glimpse of the massive predator shark he famously exclaims " We're gonna need a bigger boat!"

I could not agree more.

With the growing CRE problem, the modest clinical response of treating CRE infections with ceftazidime-avibactam (59% clinical success) does indeed suggest that 'we're gonna need a bigger boat' antibiotic to manage these tough cases.

Our struggle with pesky drug resistant pathogens continues.