Category AMS strategy
Q3 Tragedy of the commons and antimicrobial stewardship
Question 3 of our JMO pre-test survey asked about the aims of antimicrobial stewardship (yes, better ‘antimicrobial’ than ‘antibiotic’- antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic resistance are issues as well). We gave you three options and all except one responded with the correct answer – all three! The order is important – treatment of the individual patient comes first: Optimise the effectiveness […]
Dental Antimicrobial Stewardship – excellent UK toolkit released
In November 2016, a Dental Antimicrobial Stewardship: toolkit was released. It was developed in response to findings in the May 2016 Antimicrobial Resistance review by the Dental Subgroup of the English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR). It complements these existing standards: General Dental Council (GDC) standards/guidance and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standards.
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:
How well do you know antibiotic interactions? Complete our AAW quiz!
Antibiotics are consistently and widely used in almost all areas of clinical healthcare in Australia with 38% of hospital patients being treated with a microbial on any given day (2014) and 46% of the general population being dispensed at least one systemic antimicrobial prescription in the community (2014-2015). Do you think you’ve got a […]
ANTIBIOTICS: HANDLE WITH CARE
“Antimicrobial resistance is a danger of the utmost urgency. This year will be a pivotal one…We have a global action plan. What we need now is the action” Margaret Chan, WHO Director – General addresses the Executive Board. Report by the Director-General to the Executive Board at its 138th Session Geneva, Switzerland. 25 January 2016
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 […]
AURA 2016 – Australian antimicrobial use & resistance- key findings
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) recently released AURA 2016 – Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health. This detailed report analyses diverse existing national sources of data and underpins Australia’s recently released ‘One-Health‘-style National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2015-2019 and will serve as an important baseline for future AMR […]
Be Medicinewise Week – Take Charge!
This year during Be Medicinewise week the National Prescribing Service (NPS) is encouraging clinicians to promote Australians taking charge of their health by being medicinewise, and raising awareness on the importance of having conversations about medicines. Be Medicinewise week (last week!) suggested clinicians ask patients to keep in mind 3 key pieces of advice to take control […]
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. […]
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 […]