Communicable E65: Quarterly catch-up (October 2026 edition)

In this episode of Communicable, Emily McDonald returns for another ‘Quarterly catch-up’ and is joined by Angela Huttner as co-host. Together, they review four recent randomised clinical trials, focusing on antibiotic treatment duration and different treatment approaches across a range of infections and patient populations [1–4]. They discuss the results and weigh in on their implications for clinical practice.ReferencesJohnson, et al. Vancomycin Taper and Pulse or Fidaxomicin for Recurrent C. difficile Infection. NEJM Evid. DOI: 10.1056/EVIDoa2600016Bundgaard, et al. Response-Tailored or Standard-Duration Antibiotic Treatment for Infective Endocarditis (POET II). NEJM. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2607887 Bielicki, et al. Oral step-down, optimal drug, and total duration of antibiotic treatment in African children hospitalised with severe community-acquired pneumonia (PediCAP): a factorial randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00879-2Carlsen, et al. Individualized Duration of Antibiotic Treatment in Culture-Negative Early-Onset Sepsis in Late Preterm and Term-Born Neonates in Denmark: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Randomised, Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(26)00118-5