Skin (staphylococcal) abscesses (boils) are often treated with antimicrobials, but are they really needed? The New England Journal of Medicine recently presented a case vignette and asked prescribers to weigh in on whether they thought antibiotics were needed or if incision and drainage alone were enough.
Chocolate agar is an enriched non specific growth medium which is used to grow and isolate pathogenic bacteria. Its also known as chocolate blood agar and is made using blood that has been slowly heated to 80 degrees. So probably not a great choice as a gift! Chocolate agar is a variant of blood agar […]
Updated 25/1/24: Cochrane review was updated in Dec 2023 . “Authors’ conclusions: After a thorough search, no RCTs which assessed the effectiveness of cranberry juice for the treatment of UTIs were found. Therefore, at the present time, there is no good quality evidence to suggest that it is effective for the treatment of UTIs. ” Cranberry […]
A recent experiment mapped the bacterial travellers on the New York Subway system and found that grabbing a handrail transmits the same number of bacteria as shaking hands with 10 000 people. An average of 2 million colony forming units were found per square inch, which for frequent travellers, equates to 900 times more than airplane […]
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 […]
These carefully wrought new definitions potentially revolutionise our approach and will provide greater diagnostic clarity for more rapid recognition and treatment. Highly relevant to all clinicians. Recommendations (JAMA current edition) Editorial and several other items of note (all free access) Sepsis should be defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. For […]
Leeches have been used throughout history for a variety of different medical indications. Over exploitation of medical leech species throughout the 19th century lead to the species becoming threatened. Today medical leeches are breed in special populations. Medicinal leech therapy is increasing in popularity to assist in wound healing where venous congestion is a problem. Leeches […]
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.
The recommended treatment for mild paronychia is conservative. Warm compresses or soaks are used, along with topical antibiotics with or without topical steroids. If an abscess has formed around the nail, incision and drainage is added. Oral antibiotics are only recommended in refractory cases or in patients with comorbidities such as diabetes or immunosuppression. We […]
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.
AIMED - Let's talk about antibiotics 