Author Archives: koh10
An everyday tragedy: treating asymptomatic bacteruria with antibiotics
Act 1 of a common tragedy that sets the scene for antibiotic resistance – an elderly female resident of a nursing home complains of minor dysuria or perhaps just has urine that appears cloudy or smelly. The nurse collects some urine and performs a urinalysis that shows presence of white cells and nitrite. The urine is sent […]
Diagnostic error is a major factor leading to inappropriate antimicrobial use- recent landmark paper
Diagnostic accuracy is a factor neglected by most antimicrobial stewardship programs and should perhaps be subject to regular audit and feedback. It is heavily dependent upon the context of the clinical contact – for example, time-pressured, after hours hospital ward patient encounters are prone to quick judgements and sloppy diagnoses. For a persuasive discussion of […]
National Prescribing Service #savethescript winner announced- The Pick Up
This year, the NPS hosted a competition to develop short films about antibiotic resistance. The winners were announced earlier this year and can be viewed on the NPS YouTube channel – they are all well worth a look. Congratulations to the winner –
Managing Paediatric Sepsis
Managing paediatric sepsis is difficult. Children require different drugs and doses and the typical pathogens vary across age groups. The team at the BMJ have put together a review of the management and treatment options for children, including neonates. Antibiotics are the only treatment of proven value in paediatric sepsis. Progression to organ failure and shock can be rapid […]
Australia releases first National Strategy to address Antimicrobial Resistance
This week Health Minister, Susan Ley and Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce released a statement regarding the publication of Australia’s first national strategy to address antimicrobial resistance. The strategy covers the next 4 years and aims to reduce Australia’s antimicrobial use to combat resistance. It is based on the WHO Global Action Plan for AMR. The […]
Delaying antibiotic prescribing strategies
There are several strategies than can be used when doctors are reluctant to issue antibiotic prescriptions. You can ask patients to get back in touch is they don’t improve, post-date prescriptions, ask patients to come back and collect the prescription if they aren’t feeling better, write the prescription and ask the patient to delay using […]
AIMED - Let's talk about antibiotics 