Infectious Disease & Sepsis

From IDWeek Meeting: The BALANCE Trial compared 7-day vs. 14-day antibiotic regimens in 3600 patients with bloodstream infections across seven countries. Excluding patients with Staphylococcus aureus, fungal infections, severe immunocompromise, or prosthetic heart valves, the trial found that 7-day treatment was noninferior to 14-day treatment for 90-day mortality (14.5% vs. 16.1%). Length of stay was shorter in the 7-day group. These findings support shorter antibiotic courses in appropriate patients, though certain high-risk groups were not included.