The clinical outcomes and safety of dalbavancin as primary and sequential treatment of gram-positive bacteremia with infective endocarditis were evaluated retrospectively. The clinical success rate was high (92.6%), but in 24 of 27 patients dalbavancin was used only after clearance of bacteria from the bloodstream.

Purpose: Dalbavancin is a novel lipoglycopeptide with potent activity against several gram-positive pathogens, an excellent safety profile and a long elimination half-life. Methods: In this case series observed at the University Hospital of Vienna between 2015 and 2017, all adult patients with gram-positive infections who received at least one dosage of dalbavancin were screened (n = 118). A total of 72 patients were included in the final analysis. The number of included patients stratified by the source of infection was: skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) (n = 26), osteomyelitis (n = 20), spondylodiscitis (n = 14), acute septic arthritis (n = 4) and prosthetic joint infection (n = 8). Results: In 46 patients (64%), clinical cure was detected at the end of dalbavancin therapy without additional antibiotic therapy. Of the 26 patients who received additional antibiotic therapy other than dalbavancin, 15 patients (21%) showed no clinical improvement under dalbavancin therapy, four patients (5%) had side effects (nausea n = 1, exanthema n = 2, hyperglycemia n = 1), and in seven patients (10%) clinical improvement under dalbavancin therapy was detected but antibiotic therapy was de-escalated to an oral drug. Conclusion: We demonstrated high clinical effectiveness of dalbavancin for acute gram-positive infections primarily acute SSTI, acute septic arthritis, acute osteomyelitis and spondylodiscitis. In patients with biofilm-associated infection (chronic infection or joint prosthesis), source control was absolutely necessary for treatment success.

Background During the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare professionals (HCP) are at the frontline of clinical management and at increased risk for infection. The SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of oncological HCP and their patients has significant implications for oncological care. Methods HCP and patients with cancer at the Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna were included between 21 March and 4 June and tested for total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 employing the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay. Reactive samples were confirmed or disproved by the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG test. Additionally, a structured questionnaire regarding basic demographic parameters, travel history and COVID-19-associated symptoms had to be completed by HCP. Results 146 subjects (62 HCP and 84 patients with cancer) were enrolled. In the oncological HCP cohort, 20 (32.3%) subjects were medical oncologists, 28 (45.2%) nurses at our ward and 14 (22.6%) fulfil other functions such as study coordinators. In the patient cohort, most individuals are on active anticancer treatment (96.4%). 26% of the HCP and 6% of the patients had symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19 since the end of February 2020. However, only in 2 (3.2%) HCP and in 3 (3.6%) patients, anti-SARS-Cov-2 total antibodies were detected. The second assay for anti-SARS-Cov-2 IgG antibodies confirmed the positive result in all HCP and in 2 (2.4%) patients, suggesting an initial assay’s unspecific reaction in one case. In individuals with a confirmed test result, an active COVID-19 infection was documented by a positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA PCR test. Conclusion Specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found solely in persons after a documented SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, thus supporting the test methods’ high sensitivity and specificity. The low prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in our cohorts indicates a lack of immunity against SARS-CoV-2. It highlights the need for continued strict safety measures to prevent uncontrolled viral spread among oncological HCPs and patients with cancer.

We report a human case of Borrelia miyamotoi infection diagnosed in Austria. Spirochetes were detected in Giemsa-stained blood smears. The presence of B. miyamotoi in the patient’s blood was confirmed by PCR, and phylogenetic analysis identified an infection with a strain from Europe.

Dalbavancin (DAL) is a lipoglycopeptide with bactericidal activity against a very wide range of Gram-positive microorganisms. It also has unique pharmacokinetic properties, namely a prolonged half-life (around 181 h), which allows a convenient weekly dosing regimen, and good diffusion in bone tissue. These features have led to off-label use of dalbavancin in the setting of bone and joint infection, including prosthetic joint infections (PJI). In this narrative review, we go over the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of DAL, along with published in vitro and in vivo experimental models evaluating its activity against biofilm-embedded bacteria. We also examine published experience of osteoarticular infection with special attention to DAL and PJI.