[Management of serious bacterial infections: general considerations]

Many efforts have been made in the recent years to improve the prognosis of severe bacterial infections by reducing the risk of treating the patients inadequately. The reasons responsible for inadequate treatment have been intensively studied and antibiotic resistance has been identified as one of the main risks. Currently different strategies are considered to optimize antibiotic therapy, such as the adoption of local guidelines, de-escalation, rotation and association therapies. Each appears to prove efficacy in the containment of resistance and improvement of outcome; however, further studies, continuous monitoring of the epidemiology of severe infections and antibiotic resistance, and finally, availability of new drugs are needed. It is the authors' opinion that, despite the importance of guidelines for the optimal treatment and most appropriate management of severe infections, closer collaboration should be established between the medical staff in the wards and IDS, who can bridge the gap between the guidelines and the individual needs of the patient, thereby improving the decision-making process. The IDS, as consultant in different medical and surgical wards and as a member of the Infectious Diseases Control local Committees, can interact at different levels and can improve the management of severe bacterial infections.