Category Hospital practice
Overuse => global shortage! Let’s conserve what piperacillin+tazobactam we have left
Piperacillin+tazobactam (Tazocin) is one of our most important broad spectrum agents and is in short supply. Please conserve it by avoiding use in these common situations: Uncomplicated biliary sepsis (Use ampicillin+gentamicin(max 48hrs) OR if allergic, ceftriaxone) Urinary tract infection with sepsis (Use ampicillin+gentamicin(max 48 hrs) OR if allergic, ceftriaxone) Early onset (< 5d after admission) […]
IV amoxycillin+clavulanate available – uses in intra-abdominal infection – new guideline
We’ve previously counselled against augmentin overuse in a number of conditions which did not, however, include intra-abdominal infection where the new availability of an IV preparation offers us a way of reducing the use of the workhorse antibiotic piperacillin+tazobactam. Here is our freshly minted guideline which also provides more explicit advice about short or no […]
2016 Hunter New England LHD Cumulative Antibiograms just released
Cumulative antibiograms provide a summary of current bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility for key pathogens in urine and non-urine specimens. Treatment recommendations based on Therapeutic Guidelines, Antibiotic, Edition 15, 2014 are included in each report. These are prepared by Pathology North, Microbiology for Hunter, New England and Lower Mid-north coast regions. The antibiogram reports include analyses of […]
The old antibiotics are still useful – Fosfomycin
The Special Access Scheme (SAS) allows practitioners to import/gain access to therapeutic goods currently not registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) for a single patient on a case by case basis. Fosfomycin (one such SAS drug) is a broad spectrum antibiotic belonging to the phosphonic acid derivative drug class (other examples in this drug class include foscarnet and adefovir).
Metronidazole IV in short supply til late May-(Australian advice)
Useful information sheet on alternatives from NCAS. N.B. oral bioavailability of metronidazole is high. Previously published ANZ anaerobe susceptibility data will be re-published on AIMED soon.
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 […]
Antibiotic classes – why so important to know about them?
The antibiotic knowledge survey of our new interns this week, showed that many were confused about which class vancomycin (a glycopeptide) fell into (30% thought it was an aminoglycoside). This is a potentially dangerous confusion as the dosing, side effects and monitoring all differ substantially between these classes: Aminoglycoside Glycopeptide Indicative agents Gentamicin Vancomycin Dosing […]
AAW 2016: practical AMS – popular recent AIMED postings
To kick off Antibiotic Awareness week, here are some favourite postings that you may wish to (re)visit: [BTW, thank you to many who have provided us with constructive ideas and overwhelming positive feedback – please do complete our short survey if you’d like to tell us something!] This posting from pharmacist, Kate O’Hara laid out […]
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
AIMED - Let's talk about antibiotics 
Pathology stewardship – an essential element of AMS
Poor antimicrobial prescribing decisions often are triggered by laboratory results that create red herrings or worse. Inappropriate/ poor specimen collection and/or a request form that provides no context to the investigation often sets the ball rolling. Inappropriate workup and reporting of contaminant or colonising isolates may then follow (it may be impossible for the lab […]