Category AMS strategy
AIMED – 5 Moments of Antimicrobial Prescribing
What does AIMED stand for? https://aimed.net.au/about . Kearney standing proud at the Antibiotic Awareness Week displays at Calvary Mater Hospital this week:
Wasted spectrum 101 – amoxicillin+clavulanate overuse
Amoxicillin+clavulanate (Augmentin) is an important broad spectrum agent that includes Gram negative anaerobic coverage (see below). We rely on it for a variety of complex infections, often as a second line. Compared with amoxycillin alone, the incidence of gastrointestinal, hepatic and haematological side effects is significantly higher for amoxicillin+clavulanic acid. It may be associated with a […]
Sparing fluoroquinolones – alternative safe and effective options by syndrome and bug
Fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and moxifloxacin) have serious potential side effects, and are best used only for directed therapy of serious multi-resistant Gram negative infections where no other safer alternatives are available. 14 of our 32 hospital facilities in HNELHD overuse these agents with 2016 average FQ usage above our current benchmark of 30 defined daily doses per 1000 patient-days. […]
Ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones: should you think twice about prescribing?
Fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and norfloxacin) (FQ) are essential agents for directed treatment of certain types of resistant aerobic Gram negative bacterial species where FQ susceptibility has been proven. They are best avoided as empirical therapy or where there is an alternative due to these potential serious side effects:
More Choosing Wisely recommendations released today
Choosing Wisely Australia is an organisation that aims to improve the quality of healthcare provided to Australians by urging healthcare providers to reconsider tests, procedures or treatments where the evidence suggests no benefit or may lead to harm in some cases. Today the organisation released 50 new recommendations from 12 new Australian professional bodies to […]
Clinical Pharmacist led antimicrobial stewardship
Clinical pharmacists in all settings play important roles in antimicrobial stewardship. They are uniquely placed to provide medicines advice to both prescribers and patients, spreading the message of appropriate and safe antimicrobial use.
AIMED- dedicated to better use of antibiotics
AIMED stands for five essential principles that seek to optimise patient treatment with antimicrobials (antibiotics). Antimicrobial stewardship 101 – excellent overview from McKenzie, Rawlins and Del Mar in Australian Prescriber.
Sparing meropenem 101 – treatment of ESCPM species and AmpC betalactamases unpacked
Guest post: Patrick Harris, Staff Specialist in Microbiology, Central Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane Infectious disease and microbiology trainees diligently learn about organisms that have a type of broad-spectrum beta-lactamase (i.e. an enzyme that can inactivate betalactam antibiotics) called ‘AmpC’. These enzymes are encoded by a gene that is usually located on the chromosome of many Gram-negative […]
Antimicrobial prophylaxis, quinolone resistance and prostate biopsy safety
Guest post: Patrick Harris, Staff Specialist in Microbiology, Central Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane Overseas travel and prostate biopsies: a key risk-factor for infectious complications with multi-drug resistant bacteria Given an ageing population and the current reliance upon PSA testing to screen for prostate cancer, patients are increasingly being referred for trans-rectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsies. Millions […]
AIMED - Let's talk about antibiotics 
Magical thinking- do antibiotics improve chronic wound healing?
We’ve previously addressed this topic here. It’s certainly the case that chronic skin ulcers (leg or elsewhere) drive an enormous amount of antibiotic prescribing, perhaps because these ulcers are so hard to heal and a degree of therapeutic impatience occurs. The annual survey of chronic wounds last year in our health district indicated that 28% of inpatients […]