Antibiotics

Jason Gallagher, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FIDSA, explains how the role of antimicrobial susceptibility tests can be undermined by delays between approval of new antibiotics and the tests that will optimize their use.

More than 200 scientists, medical professionals, and environmental researchers have released a statement calling on the international community to take further steps to limit the use of triclosan, triclocarban, and other antimicrobial compounds.

Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, explains the key points that should be incorporated into institutional plans for dealing with antimicrobial shortages.

Snigdha Vallabhaneni, MD, MPH, discusses the drugs available to treat Candida infections.

Conan MacDougall, PharmD, explains how practitioners can adopt antibiotic stewardship interventions that will be beneficial to their specific practice settings.

As new antibiotics are not being developed fast enough to fight against drug-resistant bacteria, new research shows that probiotic bacteria found in cheese and yogurt may offer an effective alternative.

Elizabeth Phillips, MD, FRCPC, FRACP, explains different strategies for improving antibiotic allergy management.

Meghan Jeffres, PharmD, explains what practitioners should keep in mind when prescribing beta-lactams.

Conan MacDougall, PharmD, discusses some interventions that have been shown to produce negative behavioral changes for antibiotic stewardship.

Pleuromutilin antibiotics, meningococcal disease, tuberculosis, a new fluoroquinolone to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and WHO’s position on HPV vaccine recommendations makes up this week’s Top 5 articles.

Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, MPH, explains how to treat patients who expect to receive an antibiotic, but should not.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, explains why narrow-spectrum antibiotics are more beneficial for treating C. difficile.

A new Johns Hopkins study finds that one fifth of hospitalized adults experience adverse effects from prescribed antibiotics; one fifth of those effects occurred in patients who should not have been prescribed antibiotics in the first place.

Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, explains strategies institutions can take to address antimicrobial shortages.

Although treatment for chronic Lyme has provided some patients with relief of their symptoms, it may also expose them to complications related to the prescribed modalities.

Jason Gallagher, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FIDSA, explains the importance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for off-label indications.

Genovefa Papanicolaou, MD, discusses a new antiviral in development to prevent cytomegalovirus.

Researchers discover a new approach for measuring how long it takes an antibiotic to kill bacteria.

Commentary authors warn that lack of access to antibiotics to treat common bacterial infections are becoming difficult to access due to manufacturers finding them less profitable to produce and market; this can have serious implications.

Researchers from Yale University have come up with a new “chemical process” that may aid in the development of a new class of antibiotics.

Badela, a new antibiotic developed by Melinta Therapeutics, was just approved by the US FDA to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

Milena McLaughlin, PharmD, MSc, explains the different ways that antimicrobial shortages can impact patient care.

Khalid Eljaaly, PharmD, MS, CAPPS, BCPS, explains which studies are ideal to run through a meta-analysis.

Lauri A. Hicks, DO, discusses the use of immunotherapy in tackling antibiotic resistance.

New drugs for HIV, the growing rate of antibiotic resistance, a new hepatitis C treatment option, and updates on the Ebola outbreak and Lyme disease diagnostics, make up the Top 5 articles for this week.