July 18, 2024
The FDA recommends laboratories and health care providers consider conservation strategies to prioritize the use of blood culture media bottles, preserving the supply for patients at highest risk.
July 1, 2024
A 2019 randomized controlled trial demonstrated noninferiority amongst patients treated with seven versus 14 days of antibiotics for uncomplicated bacteremia caused by Gram-negative organisms. The primary composite outcome, including all-cause mortality, infectious complications, and hospital readmissions, occurred in 46% of patients in the seven-day group vs 48% in the 14-day group. Most of the 600 …
June 12, 2024
“I am the former Medical Director for the Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at UNC Hospitals,” said Jonathan Juliano. “During that time, my lab began to conduct molecular epidemiology research around AMR. Now, we help support trainees and faculty interested in AMR for conducting genomic studies to better understand AMR genes and transmission of highly resistant bacteria.”
May 20, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its updated Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (BPPL) 2024, featuring 15 families of antibiotic-resistant bacteria grouped into critical, high and medium categories for prioritization. The list provides guidance on the development of new and necessary treatments to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
May 18, 2024
The Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (CASP) honored three collaborators with Super Steward Awards. The award recipients were Jenny Boyd, MD; Joseph Stromberg, MD; and David J. Weber, MD, MPH. CASP created the awards in 2022 to recognize colleagues’ efforts to champion stewardship in their settings. “CASP’s success hinges on collaboration with colleagues passionate about stewardship. …
April 29, 2024
“Since 2017, patients completing therapy have increased 68% while readmissions during OPAT have decreased from 25% to 11% in 2023,” Michael Swartwood, MSN, RN, CAPM, OPAT’s data manager, reported.
March 21, 2024
Is your practice interested in improving appropriate use of antibiotics in telemedicine? The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is currently recruiting practices for a no-cost, 18-month program beginning in June 2024 to promote appropriate antibiotic use while maintaining patient satisfaction and reducing potential side effects in patients seen via telemedicine. Practices will receive …
February 26, 2024
Not only will antibiotics do nothing for a virus, but taking them unnecessarily could cause harm to you and your community. And it’s happening a lot.
January 12, 2024
In a new study, UNC School of Medicine’s Brian Conlon, PhD, Duke’s Josh Parsons, MD, PhD, and colleagues provide the best evidence to date for the significance of bacterial persister cells in the failure of antibiotics in the clinic.
January 2, 2024
Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise worldwide, notably among gram-negative bacteria, known for their propensity to resist multiple antibiotic agents which threatens the likelihood of treatment success. As rising resistance rates limit antimicrobial options, dose optimization is key to clinical success. For β-lactam antibiotics, the best predictor of bacterial killing is the proportion of the …
December 6, 2023
“Many providers have a misperception about what is considered to be a drug allergy,” said Mildren Kwan, UNC School of Medicine professor and CASP Super Steward. Doctors at the UNC School of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s collaborate to develop an innovative, patient-initiated online platform designed to remove the penicillin allergy label from misdiagnosed pediatric patients.
December 6, 2023
The new pediatric intramuscular antibiotic order panel makes it easier to order, whether from the peds emergency department or inpatient. Access the Pediatric IM ABX Order Panel Flyer