Debating the Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Serious Bacterial Infections

Release Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
Expiration Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Educational Overview
The pandemic of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and their continuing spread is well recognized and considered a global health crisis. In addition to the rising prevalence of MDR pathogens, a growing at-risk patient population has compounded the burden caused by these infections. In particular, infections caused by MRSA, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ESBL-producing and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and C. difficile continue to present challenges when utilizing current antimicrobials.

Addressing the MDR crisis requires a multifaceted approach, including having a thorough understanding of resistance mechanisms, local epidemiology, rapid diagnostics, and infection control. When an MDR infection is suspected, clinicians must consider patient-, pathogen-, and drug-related factors when selecting an optimal regimen. Newer and emerging agents can offer effective options to address these difficult infections, though their use must be done in an appropriate manner. Clinicians depend on ID specialists for guidance when managing MDR infections and, thus, they must be skilled and competent in the latest research and evidence-based strategies.

Through a debate format, this activity explores the spectrum of available and emerging agents for the treatment of MDR infections and the ways in which clinicians can apply evidence-based treatment approaches in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality of these infections.

Target Audience
This continuing medical education activity is planned to meet the need of healthcare providers in a variety of practice settings, including large and small health systems, outpatient clinics, managed-care organizations, long-term care facilities, and academia. This activity is especially beneficial for ID physicians and pharmacists who are on the frontline of managing patients with serious bacterial infections in their institutions.

Learning Objectives
Healthcare professionals participating in this educational activity will be able at its conclusion to:

Apply evidence-based guideline recommendations into clinical practice when managing hospitalized patients with serious bacterial infections
Optimize the use of available antimicrobial agents to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections by considering patient and pathogen factors
Assess the utility of new and emerging therapeutic options as part of pathogen-directed therapy when treating serious bacterial infections.

Educational Format

These Online Presentations are based on the CME/CPE Satellite Symposium which was held at ICAAC 2014.

Please Note: If you have received credit for attending the live symposium by the same name, you are not eligible to apply for credit for this online version.

This online activity is divided into four portable and easy to access episodes:

EPISODE 1:
Round 1: MRSA and VRE Infections
Challenges - Richard H. Drew, PharmD
Opportunities - Thomas M. File, Jr., MD

EPISODE 2:
Round 2: ESBL-producing and Carbapenem-Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
Challenges - George G. Zhanel, PharmD
Opportunities - Richard H. Drew, PharmD

EPISODE 3:
Round 3: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Challenges - Thomas M. File, Jr., MD
Opportunities - Erik R. Dubberke, MD

EPISODE 4:
Round 4: Clostridium difficile
Challenges - Erik R. Dubberke, MD
Opportunities - George G. Zhanel, PharmD

FACULTY

	George G. Zhanel, PharmD, PhD, FCCP Professor Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba Director, Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) Winnipeg, Canada
	Thomas M. File, Jr. MD, MS, MACP, FIDSA, FCCP Chair, Infectious Disease Division Summa Health System Akron, OH Professor, Internal Medicine Master Teacher; Chair, Infectious Disease Section Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown, OH

	Erik R. Dubberke MD, MSPH Associate Professor of Medicine Director, Section of Transplant Infectious Diseases Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO

	Richard H. Drew PharmD, MS, FCCP Professor and Vice Chair of Research and Scholarship Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) Duke University School of Medicine Durham, NC

ACCREDITATION
Physicians
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Center for Independent Healthcare Education and Vemco MedEd, LLC. Center for Independent Healthcare Education (Center) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Center for Independent Healthcare Education designates this Enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacists

Center for Independent Healthcare Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider for continuing pharmacy education. Center has assigned 2.0 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credits for participating in this activity.

ACPE UAN: 0473-9999-14-009-H01-P
Activity type: Knowledge-based

For questions regarding accreditation, please contact info@jointsponsor.com

Method of Participation and Instruction for Credit

Review the entire CME/CPE information including target audience, learning objectives, and disclosures.
Review each episode.
Complete the Online Post Test, Evaluation, and Credit Application form
Please note that to receive credit you must achieve a score of at least 70%.
Physicians: Certificate of Credit will be emailed within 4 weeks of successful completion of the activity.
Pharmacists: The information that you participated will be uploaded to CPE Monitor and you will be able to access your credits from the profile you set up with NABP. For more information, please visit http://www.nabp.net/.

DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICTS ON INTEREST
In accordance with policies set forth by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Center for Independent Healthcare Education requires all faculty members and spouses/significant others with an opportunity to affect the content of a continuing education activity to disclose any relevant financial relationships during the past 12 months with commercial interests. A commercial interest is any entity producing, marketing, reselling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients. Relationships with commercial interests and conflicts of interest resulting from those relationships must be revealed to the audience and resolved prior to the activity

Relevant relationships include roles such as speaker, author, consultant, independent contractor (including research), employee, investor, advisory committee member, board member, review panelist, and investigator. If a potential speaker or author indicates a possible conflict of interest, the conflict will be resolved by choosing another speaker or author for that topical area, or the slides, handouts, and/or monograph will be reviewed and approved by a qualified commercially-disinterested peer.

Planning Committee Members
George G. Zhanel, PharmD, PhD, FCCP
Thomas M. File, Jr., MD, MS, MACP, FIDSA, FCCP
Erik R. Dubberke, MD, MSPH
Richard H. Drew, PharmD, MS, FCCP
Paul DeLisle
Marco Cicero, PhD
Maja Drenovac, PharmD, CCMEP

DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL INTEREST SUMMARY

George G. Zhanel, PharmD, PhD (Faculty/Planner) has relevant financial relationships with commercial interests as follows:

• Grant Recipient/Research Support: AstraZeneca, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, The Medicines Company, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Triton, Tetraphase

Dr. Zhanel discusses the off-label uses of the following: Investigational uses of
ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, imipenem, MK7655, eravacycline, oritavancin, tedizolid, dalbavancin, surotomycin, and fecal transplant.

Thomas M. File, Jr., MD (Faculty/Planner) has relevant financial relationships with commercial interests as follows:

• Advisory Board: Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Forest Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline,
Merck & Co., Pfizer, Tetraphase

• Grant Recipient/Research Support: Pfizer, Cempra

Dr. File discusses the off-label use of following: Non-approved uses of drugs for MDR pathogens.

Erik R. Dubberke, MD (Faculty/Planner) has relevant financial relationships with the following commercial interests:

• Advisory Board: Cubist Pharmaceuticals

• Consultant: Merck & Co., Rebiotix, Sanofi-Pasteur

• Grant Recipient/Research Support: Merck & Co., Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Pasteur, Microdermis

Dr. Dubberke discusses the off-label use of following: Investigational treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Richard H. Drew, PharmD (Faculty/Planner) has relevant financial relationships with commercial interests as follows:

• Publication royalties: UpToDate

• Development team: CustomID

Dr. Drew discusses the off-label uses of the following: Phase I-III agents for treatment of moderate-severe infections, novel dosing strategies of approved agents. Investigational and non-approved uses will be identified as such.

No other speakers, authors, planners or content reviewers have any relevant financial relationships to disclose. No other speakers or authors will discuss off-label use of a product.

Content review confirmed that the content was developed in a fair, balanced manner free from commercial bias. Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone commercial bias in any presentation, but it is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

Fee
There is no fee to participate in this activity.

Hardware/Software Requirements
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Software/Hardware
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Connection Speed
Cable, DSL, or better of at least 300 kbps

System Check
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http://www.vemcomeded.com/privacy.asp

Joint Providership
This activity is jointly provided by Center for Independent Healthcare Education
and Vemco MedEd.

Commercial Support
This activity is supported by an educational grant from
Cubist Pharmaceuticals.

By clicking on an Episode below, I acknowledge that I have read the entire CME information.
MRSA and VRE Infections	ESBL-producing and Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Clostridium difficile