Enterobacteriaceae Producing Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) Decolonization Study
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (hereafter
called ESBLs) have emerged as an important cause of bloodstream infection in hospitalized
patients and urinary tract infections in the community. As is the case with other
multidrug-resistant organisms chronic colonization is frequent, in the case of ESBLs mostly
intestinal and urinary carriage.
To the investigators knowledge no randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial has been
performed to study the efficacy of a systematic ESBL eradication strategy. Eradication of
ESBL carriage would cause benefits for the individual patient - by reducing the risk of
infection - and for the community - by reducing transmission. Even if eradication turns out
to be impossible, transient suppression of ESBL might reduce the likelihood of transmission
and thus still be beneficial from an ecologic perspective.
The purpose of the proposed study is to test the hypothesis that the administration of a 10
day course of oral antibiotics active against ESBLs can lead to decolonization of ESBL
carriage in hospitalized patients.