Rationale and evidence for the use of new beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations and cefiderocol in critically ill patients

Background Healthcare-associated infections involving Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) with difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) phenotype are associated with impaired patient-centered outcomes and poses daily therapeutic challenges in most of intensive care units worldwide. Over the recent years, four innovative β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) combinations (ceftolozane–tazobactam, ceftazidime–avibactam, imipenem–relebactam and meropenem–vaborbactam) and a new siderophore cephalosporin (cefiderocol) have been approved for the treatment of certain DTR-GNB infections. The literature addressing their microbiological spectrum, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy and safety was exhaustively audited by our group to support the recent guidelines of the French Intensive Care Society on their utilization in critically ill patients. This narrative review summarizes the available evidence and unanswered questions on these issues. Methods A systematic search for English-language publications in PUBMED and the Cochrane Library database from inception to November 15, 2022. Results These drugs have demonstrated relevant clinical success rates and a reduced renal risk in most of severe infections for whom polymyxin- and/or aminoglycoside-based regimen were historically used as last-resort strategies—namely, ceftazidime–avibactam for infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)- or OXA-48-like-producing Enterobacterales, meropenem–vaborbactam for KPC-producing Enterobacterales, ceftazidime–avibactam/aztreonam combination or cefiderocol for metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacterales, and ceftolozane–tazobactam, ceftazidime–avibactam and imipenem–relebactam for non-MBL-producing DTR Pseudomonas aeruginosa . However, limited clinical evidence exists in critically ill patients. Extended-infusion scheme (except for imipenem–relebactam) may be indicated for DTR-GNB with high minimal inhibitory concentrations and/or in case of augmented renal clearance. The potential benefit of combining these agents with other antimicrobials remains under-investigated, notably for the most severe presentations. Other important knowledge gaps include pharmacokinetic information in particular situations (e.g., pneumonia, other deep-seated infections, and renal replacement therapy), the hazard of treatment-emergent resistance and possible preventive measures, the safety of high-dose regimen, the potential usefulness of rapid molecular diagnostic tools to rationalize thei