Use of Meropenem and Other Antimicrobial Lock Therapy in the Treatment of Catheter-Related Blood Stream Infections in Neonates: A Retrospective Study

Fiammetta Piersigilli ¹,* , Cinzia Auriti ² , Andrea Dotta ² , Bianca Maria Goffredo ³ , Sara Cairoli ³ , Immacolata Savarese ² , Francesca Campi ² , Tiziana Corsetti ⁴ and Iliana Bersani ²

¹ Department of Neonatology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
² Department of Medical and Surgical Neonatology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy; cinzia.auriti@opbg.net (C.A.); andrea.dotta@opbg.net (A.D.); immacolata.savarese@opbg.net (I.S.); francesca.campi@opbg.net (F.C.); iliana.corsetti@opbg.net (I.B.)
³ Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Specialist Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy; biancamaria.goffredo@opbg.net (B.M.G.); sara.cairoli@opbg.net (S.C.)
⁴ Unit of Clinical Pharmacy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy; tiziana.corsetti@opbg.net

*Correspondence: fiammetta.piersigilli@saintluc.uclouvain.be. Advisory board of the NEVAT

Central vascular catheters (CVC) are a major risk factor for hospital infection. There are a lot of strategies to prevent central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). What are the options to save the catheter when it is impossible to replace? The so-called Antibiotic Lock Therapy (ALT) is an antimicrobial therapeutic strategy which seems to be promising in neonates when catheter removal is difficult due to critical conditions.