Personalized Phage Therapy in an ICU Patient with Polymicrobial Pulmonary Infections: a case from a single-arm trial
Abstract
Ventilator-associated infections (VAIs) caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens poses a significant challenge in intensive care units (ICUs). Phage therapy has emerged as a promising alternative for VAIs, though its efficacy depends on multiple factors. We report a 40-year-old male ICU patient with sequential pulmonary infections of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Seven rounds of tailored phage therapy-targeting single or dual pathogens-were administered adjunctive to antibiotics. A. baumannii was complete eradication, but K. pneumoniae and S. maltophilia showed cyclical clearance and recurrence due to strain replacement and phage resistance. Phage therapy correlated with reduced bacterial load, fever, procalcitonin, and IL-6 levels, alongside improved pulmonary inflammation, while white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein showed limited response. No severe adverse events occurred. Dynamic shifts in dominant pathogens aligned with clinical progression, with phage therapy providing transient control, extending the window for intervention and reducing high-level antibiotic use. After six months, the patient was weaned from ventilation and discharged. This case underscores the complexity of VAI management and highlights the potential of personalized phage therapy to mitigate MDR infections and minimize antibiotic reliance. This case was enrolled in a single arm trial (ChiCTR2000036801).
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 associated with proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching
- Thiophenes—Naturally Occurring Plant Metabolites: Biological Activities and In Silico Evaluation of Their Potential as Cathepsin D Inhibitors
- Inhalable Mannosylated Rifampicin–Curcumin Co-Loaded Nanomicelles with Enhanced In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy for an Optimized Pulmonary Tuberculosis Therapy
- Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)
- GC-MS Analysis and Biomedical Therapy of Oil from n-Hexane Fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approach
- Novel Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Parameters Quantify the Exposure–Effect Relationship of Levofloxacin against Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.