Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39302627›Full record

ArticleInfection2025

Prescription habits and drugs accessibility for the treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacteria infections in Italy: a multicentric survey from the IRENE study group.

Giacomo Stroffolini, Tommaso Lupia, Alberto Gaviraghi, Francesco Venuti, Giacoma Cinnirella, Andrea Gori, Maura Spotti, Francesco Blasi, Luigi Codecasa, Andrea Calcagno and 2 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Giacomo Stroffolini *Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Don Angelo Sempreboni 5, Negrar, Verona, Italy. giacomo.stroffolini@gmail.com.
Tommaso Lupia *Unit of Infectious Diseases, Cardinal Massaia, 14100, Asti, Italy.
Alberto GaviraghiDepartment of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Don Angelo Sempreboni 5, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
Francesco VenutiDepartment of Medical Sciences, Infectious Diseases, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Giacoma CinnirellaPharmacy Department, Asl Città di Torino, Turin, Italy.
Andrea GoriDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
Maura SpottiDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
Francesco BlasiDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
Luigi CodecasaRegional TB Reference Centre, Istituto Villa Marelli, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
Andrea Calcagno *Department of Medical Sciences, Infectious Diseases, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy. andrea.calcagno@unito.it.
Stefano Aliberti *Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy.
IRENE Study group collaborators

Funding

This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health "Fondi Ricerca Corrente" to IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital. This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health "Fondi Ricerca Corrente" to IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeNon-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) account for high clinical burden, and treatment can be challenging. Moreover, accessibility of NTM medications varies across centers. These challenges may lead to unplanned therapeutic changes, discontinuations, potentially affecting patient outcomes. Aim of this survey was to evaluate the accessibility of NTM-targeting drugs in Italy (with a particular focus on clofazimine) in centers associated with the IRENE Registry, a collaborative network of healthcare professionals.

methodsA cross-sectional, internet-based, questionnaire-survey on the use and availability of clofazimineand other NTM-targeting drugs was sent to 88 principal investigators of the IRENE network in Italyin 2020. The questionnaires were designed with closed-ended and open-ended questions and distributed using the SurveyMonkey® platform.

resultsThe surveys underscore the more frequent involvement of pulmonologists (42%) and infectious disease specialists (34%) in NTM treating strategies. Respondents were distributed across 18 out of20 Italian regions, with a significant concentration in the north, encompassing university hospitalsand outpatient clinics. Molecular testing is available in 40% of the involved centers, while phenotypic in 30% of the centers. Centers have a multidisciplinary team and an appointed pharmacy service for NTM drugs distribution in 10 and 75% of the cases, respectively. Substantial variability was observed in drug availability and accessibility, drug regimen composition, and drug dosage, particularly for medications like clofazimine.

conclusionsThis study shows the high heterogeneity of anti-NTM drug availability in Italy and prompts toward a harmonization in antibiotic prescription and access; it also emphasizes the challenges in determining the optimal therapeutic strategies for treating NTM-infections.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsDrug PrescriptionsHealth Services AccessibilityMycobacterium Infections, NontuberculousNontuberculous MycobacteriaPractice Patterns, Physicians'ClofazimineCross-Sectional StudiesHumansItalySurveys and QuestionnairesAnti-Bacterial AgentsClofazimineClofazimineDrugsNon-tuberculous mycobacteriaOff-labelPharmacology

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.