Louise Hill Presents NeoVanc Sub-study Results at ESPID 2020

10 Nov, 2020

Louise Hill presented the findings of a NeoVanc sub-study at ESPID’s 2020 Virtual Meeting in late October. Below is a summary of the study and findings.

Enterococcus (a bacterium) and candida (a fungus) can sometimes be found on or in the human body.  Occasionally enterococci can develop resistance to one of the antibiotics usually used to treat it – vancomycin.

Vancomycin use has been linked to a rise in vancomycin-resistant enterococci and candida on or in the bodies of babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Babies with vancomycin-resistant enterococci or candida on their bodies are at a higher risk of developing an infection with these, which can make them extremely sick.

The NeoVanc trial compared a short and long antibiotic course of vancomycin in babies with blood infections.  As part of a sub-study, NeoVanc looked at whether there was a difference between the long and short vancomycin courses in relation to babies having vancomycin-resistant enterococci or candida on their skin, in their nose or in their gut.

No difference was seen between the long and short course.  Overall, very few babies had vancomycin-resistant enterococci on their bodies, though many more had candida.

We continue to explore ways of enhancing how we give commonly used antibiotics to better suit very young babies as this is often different to older children and adults, as well as to help combat the global problem of antimicrobial resistance.

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