Guidance documents
This webpage is a collection of guidance documents either published or endorsed by ESCMID.
If your society or organization has guidelines or other guidance documents that you would like to have listed here, please contact the ESCMID Guidelines Director at guidancedocuments[at]escmid.org.

ESCMID is member of the Guidelines International Network.
The G-I-N built an international guideline library which contains around 4,000 guidance documents, which have mainly been developed or endorsed by the organisational members and is available for organisation members only. If you would like to get access to it, please contact the ESCMID Office at guidancedocuments[at]escmid.org.
2020
Medical guidelines
- Treatment of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease: An Official ATS/ERS/ESCMID/IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline: Executive Summary Daley C L, Iaccarino J M, Jr, Lange C, et al. Clin. Infect. Dis. 2020 doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa241
- Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR): 2020 Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease Lantos PM, Rumbaugh J, Bockenstedt LK et al. Clin. Infect. Dis. 2020 doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa1215
Position Papers
- Antimicrobial de-escalation in critically ill patients: a position statement from a task force of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Critically Ill Patients Study Group (ESGCIP).
Tabah A, Bassetti M, Kollef MH, et al. Intensive Care Med 2020 doi: 10.1007/s00134-019-05866-w. - EHRA international consensus document on how to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiac implantable electronic device infections—endorsed by the HRS, APHRS, LAHRS, ISCVID and the ESCMID in collaboration with the EACTS
Blomström-Lundqvist C, Traykov V, Erba PA et al. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2020 doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezz296. - Care of patients with liver disease during the COVID-19 pandemic: EASL-ESCMID position paper.
Boettler T, Newsome PN, Mondelli MU, et al. JHEP Rep 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2020.100113. - Antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring in critically ill adult patients: a Position Paper Abdul-Aziz MH, Alffenaar J-W C, Bassetti M et al. Intensive Care Med 2020 2020 46,1127-1153 doi: 10.1007/s00134-020-06050-1
2019
Medical guidelines
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria: 2019 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Nicolle LE, Gupta K, Bradley SF et al. Clin Infect Dis 2019 pii: ciy1121. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy1121. - ESCMID-ECMM guideline: diagnosis and management of invasive aspergillosis in neonates and children. Warris A, Lehrnbecher T et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2019 25(9):1096-1113. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.05.019.
- ESCMID-EUCIC clinical guidelines on decolonization of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria carriers. Tacconelli E., Mazzaferri E. et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2019,25:807-817. doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2019.01.005.
- EHRA international consensus document on how to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiac implantable electronic device infections-endorsed by HRS, APHRS, LAHRS, ISCVID and ESCMID in collaboration with EACTS. Blomström-Lundqvist C, Traykov V at al. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2019 Nov 14. pii: ezz296. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezz296.
- ESCMID generic competencies in antimicrobial prescribing
and stewardship: towards a European consensus.
Dyar OJ, Beović B, Pulcini C, Tacconelli E, Hulscher M, Cookson B;
Clin Microbiol Infect 2019;25:13-19. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.09.022 - Consensus document for the diagnosis of prosthetic joint
infections: a joint paper by the EANM, EBJIS, and ESR
(with ESCMID endorsement).
Signore A, Sconfienza LM, Borens O, et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019.
doi: 10.1007/s00259-019-4263-9 - Correction to: consensus document for the diagnosis of
prosthetic joint infections: a joint paper by the EANM,
EBJIS, and ESR (with ESCMID endorsement).
Signore A, Sconfienza LM, Borens O, et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019.
doi: 10.1007/s00259-019-04281-z. - International consensus guidelines for the optimal use of
the polymyxins: endorsed by ACCP, ESCMID, IDSA, ISAP, SCCM,
and SIDP.
Tsuji BT, Pogue JM, Zavascki AP, et al. Pharmacotherapy 2019;39:10-39.
doi: 10.1002/phar.2209. - ESICM/ESCMID task force on practical management
of invasive candidiasis in critically ill patients.
Martin-Loeches I, Antonelli M, Cuenca-Estrella M, et al. Intensive Care Med 2019;1-17. doi: 10.1007/s00134-019-05599-w. - Diagnosis of peripheral bone and prosthetic joint infections: overview on the consensus documents by the EANM, EBJIS, and ESR (with ESCMID endorsement).
Sconfienza LM, Signore A, Cassar-Pullicino V et al. Eur Radiol 2019 doi: 10.1007/s00330-019-06326-1. - Defining breakthrough invasive fungal infection-Position paper of the mycoses study group education and research consortium and the European Confederation of Medical Mycology.
Cornely OA, Hoenigl M, Lass-Flörl C et al. Mycoses 2019. doi: 10.1111/myc.12960. - Joint EANM/ESNR and ESCMID-endorsed consensus document for the diagnosis of spine infection (spondylodiscitis) in adults.
Lazzeri E, Bozzao A, Cataldo MA et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019 doi: 10.1007/s00259-019-04393-6. - Screening for carriage of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in settings of high endemicity: a position paper from an Italian working group on CRE infections.
Ambretti S, Bassetti M, Clerici P et al. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2019;8:136. doi: 10.1186/s13756-019-0591-6.
Position Papers
- Antimicrobial de-escalation in critically ill patients: a position statement from a task force of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Critically Ill Patients Study Group (ESGCIP).
Tabah A, Bassetti M, Kollef MH, et al. Intensive Care Med 2019. doi: 10.1007/s00134-019-05866-w.
2018
Medical Guidelines
- Diagnosis and management of Aspergillus diseases: executive summary of the 2017 ESCMID-ECMM-ERS guideline. Ullmann AJ, Aguado JM, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2018 May;24 Suppl 1:e1-e38. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.01.002.
- Guidance document for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection in acute healthcare settings. Tschudin-Sutter S, Kuijper EJ et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2018 Oct;24(10):1051-1054. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.02.020.
Position papers
- ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) consensus
document on the safety of targeted and biologic therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective—cell surface receptors and associated signaling pathways.
Aguilar-Company J, Fernández-Ruiz M, García-Campelo R, Garrido-Castro AC, Ruiz-Camps I. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S41-S52. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.12.027. - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Agents targeting lymphoid or myeloid cells surface antigens [II]: CD22,
CD30, CD33, CD38, CD40, SLAMF-7 and CCR4).
Drgona L, Gudiol C, Lanini S, Salzberger B, Ippolito G, Mikulska M. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S83-S94. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.03.022. - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Soluble immune effector molecules [I]: anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agents).
Baddley JW, Cantini F, Goletti D, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S10-S20. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.12.025 - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Intracellular signaling pathways: tyrosine kinase and mTOR inhibitors).
Reinwald M, Silva JT, Mueller NJ, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S53-S70. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.02.009 - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Agents targeting lymphoid cells surface antigens [I]: CD19, CD20 and
CD52).
Mikulska M, Lanini S, Gudiol C, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S71-S82. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.02.003. - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Soluble immune effector molecules [II]: agents targeting interleukins,
immunoglobulins and complement factors).
Winthrop KL, Mariette X, Silva JT, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S21-S40. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.02.002. - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Immune checkpoint inhibitors, cell adhesion inhibitors, sphingosine-1-
phosphate receptor modulators and proteasome inhibitors).
Redelman-Sidi G, Michielin O, Cervera C, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S95-S107. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.01.030. - ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH) Consensus
Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies: an infectious diseases
perspective (Introduction).
Fernández-Ruiz M, Meije Y, Manuel O,et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:S2-S9. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.01.029 - Editorial for ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH)
Consensus Document on the safety of targeted and biological therapies:
an infectious diseases perspective.
Aguado JM, Manuel O. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24 S1. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.04.02 - To test or not to test? Laboratory support for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis: a
position paper of ESGBOR, the ESCMID study group for Lyme borreliosis.
Dessau RB, van Dam AP, Fingerle V, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2018;24:118-124. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.08.025.
2017
Medical Guidelines
- Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and
Septic Shock: 2016. Rhodes A, Evans LE at al. Intensive Care Med. 2017;43(3):304-377 and Crit Care Med. 2017 Mar;45(3):486-552.
Position Papers
- Recommendations for screening, monitoring, prevention, prophylaxis and therapy of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with haematologic malignancies and patients who underwent haematologic stem cell transplantation-a position paper. Sarmati L, Andreoni M, Antonelli G et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017;23:935-940. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.06.023.
- Use of nebulized antimicrobials for the treatment of respiratory infections in invasively mechanically ventilated adults: a position paper from the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Rello J, Solé-Lleonart C, Rouby JJ et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017;23:629-639. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.04.011. - Clinical considerations for optimal use of the polymyxins: A focus on agent selection and dosing.
Pogue JM, Ortwine JK, Kaye KS. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017;23:229-233. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.02.023.
2016
Medical Guidelines
- ESCMID guideline: diagnosis and treatment of acute bacterial meningitis. van de Beek D, Cabellos C et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2016 May;22 Suppl 3:S37-62. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.01.007.
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases: update of the diagnostic guidance document for Clostridium difficile infection. Crobach MJ, Planche T et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2016 Aug;22 Suppl 4:S63-81. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.03.010.
- Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: rationale and clinical guidelines for diagnosis and management. Denning D. W., Cadranel J et al. European Respiratory Journal 2016 47: 45-68; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00583-2015.