From the Guidelines
For difficult infectious disease cases, I strongly recommend consulting the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) clinical practice guidelines, as they provide the most up-to-date and evidence-based recommendations for managing various infections, including complicated intra-abdominal infections 1. When reviewing difficult cases or consulting in infectious diseases, it is essential to rely on trustworthy sources that combine the latest research with expert consensus.
- The IDSA guidelines, such as the 2024 clinical practice guideline update on complicated intra-abdominal infections, offer valuable guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and management of infectious diseases 1.
- The CDC website is another authoritative resource that provides guidelines on managing various infections, particularly for emerging or public health-related pathogens.
- UpToDate is a comprehensive online resource that provides detailed, evidence-based reviews of infectious diseases, regularly updated by experts.
- The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy is an essential pocket reference that provides up-to-date treatment recommendations for virtually all infections, including dosing, duration, and alternative regimens.
- For antibiotic selection, the Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide provides excellent guidance on empiric therapy and de-escalation strategies.
- For complex cases, many academic medical centers offer ID consultation services via telemedicine, allowing clinicians to discuss difficult cases with specialists. These resources are valuable because they help clinicians navigate complex infectious disease scenarios where the pathogen, resistance patterns, or host factors make management challenging, ultimately improving patient outcomes in terms of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. The IDSA guidelines, in particular, are developed by experts in laboratory and adult and pediatric clinical medicine, and provide information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, making them a reliable source for reviewing difficult cases or consulting in infectious diseases 1.
From the Research
Reliable Sources for Reviewing Difficult Cases or Consulting in Infectious Diseases
- The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a reliable source for reviewing difficult cases or consulting in infectious diseases, as evidenced by their guidance documents on the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant infections 2.
- IDSA guidelines are developed by a multidisciplinary panel of experts, including infectious disease clinicians, pharmacists, and methodologists, and are based on a systematic review of the literature and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The IDSA website (www.idsociety.org) provides access to the most current versions of their guidelines, including those on the treatment and management of patients with COVID-19 3, 4, 5, and infection prevention for health care personnel caring for patients with suspected or known COVID-19 6.
- Consultation with an infectious diseases specialist is recommended for the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant infections, as stated in the IDSA guidance document on the treatment of ESBL-E, CRE, and DTR-P. aeruginosa infections 2.
Key Considerations
- The field of antimicrobial resistance is highly dynamic, and consultation with an infectious diseases specialist is recommended for the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant infections 2.
- The IDSA guidelines are frequently updated to reflect new evidence and emerging trends in infectious diseases 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The certainty of available evidence supporting the use of certain diagnostic tests or treatments may be graded as very low to low, highlighting the need for further research and updated guidelines 4, 5.