Reducing Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infections: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Problem: Approximately 50% of antibiotics prescribed are not necessary; nevertheless, in the United States among the many outpatient prescriptions, there are few more widely prescribed than antibiotics. The overuse of antibiotics to treat viral infections has been largely responsible for the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among a sample of eight urgent care providers who received the 1-hour Reducing Outpatient Antibiotic Resistance (ROAR) educational intervention on antibiotic overuse and appropriate prescribing.

Understanding pay for performance.

Dr. McClellan has stated his intention to implement some kind of physician P4P initiative by 2006. Similarly, congressional leaders with jurisdiction over Medicare have said quite plainly that any proposal to reform the physician payment update system will likely be linked to some kind of performance measurement and incentives.

Antimicrobial activity of lactoferrin against foodborne pathogenic bacteria incorporated into edible chitosan film.

The objectives of this research were to develop and characterize edible chitosan film containing lactoferrin as a natural antimicrobial agent, and to investigate the combination effects of lactoferrin with lysozyme in chitosan film against the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Chitosan films containing lactoferrin, lysozyme, or nisin were fabricated, and the antimicrobial concentrations were 0.5, 1, or 2 mg in a circular disc of chitosan film.

Discontinuation of respiratory isolation for possible tuberculosis: do two negative sputum smear results suffice?

Analysis of acid-fast bacillus smear results at a hospital with a moderate incidence of tuberculosis confirms recent recommendations that 2 negative smear results suffice for discontinuation of respiratory isolation. Use of polymerase chain reaction analysis further increases the confidence with which the diagnosis of active tuberculosis likely to be transmitted to others can be excluded.