Safety of Oral and Topical Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used to manage mild to moderate pain. While limited use is appropriate for many patients, there are safety concerns with use in certain patient populations or with long-term use of these agents. Topical NSAIDs may provide analgesic benefits while decreasing the overall risks of adverse effects.

Overview of Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Orthopaedic and Cardiac Procedures.

Antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) in surgical procedures is commonly used to prevent infections that may occur after operations. There are multiple factors that can contribute to increased risk of postsurgical complications that include prolonged hospitalization, reoperation, and readmissions. One of the strategies of decreasing the risk of bacterial contamination and developing infections is preprocedural antibiotic administration.

Osteoporosis: A Review of Novel Agents.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by decreased new bone formation, increased bone resorption, or both processes occurring simultaneously. This disease affects more than 10 million individuals older than 50 years in the United States. If this disease is left untreated, it can result in fragility fractures, which are currently seen in more than 1 million people in the United States.

Newly Approved Antimicrobials.

In recent years, government-backed policies have promoted the development of new antimicrobials to combat increases in antibiotic-resistant organisms. This article summarizes the 10 new antibacterial agents to be approved in the last 5 years.

Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus: An Update on Medications and Patient Education.

The treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has evolved significantly, marked by the approval of combination, direct-acting antiviral medications, which have improved the tolerability and efficacy of therapy. As the number of patients engaged in HCV treatment increases, it is important that all members of the healthcare team remain current on treatment options and equipped with the knowledge to educate patients. Nursing staff play a critical role in understanding the role of new medications in treatment, significant drug interactions, and patient counseling points on administration, potential adverse reactions, and the importance of adherence.

Time Requirements for Acquisition of Hepatitis C Virus Therapy in HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients.

The process of obtaining approval for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment may be time consuming and complicated due to prior authorizations and the need to appeal denials. Pharmacists are poised to play a critical role in the acquisition and management of oral direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of HCV infection; however, the time expended in this activity requires assessment. The objective of this study was to assess time expenditures by pharmacists to acquire DAAs for HCV therapy.

Analysis of an Infectious Diseases Pharmacist on Call Pager Program to Inform Educational Efforts.

An on call infectious diseases (ID) pharmacist may be used as a resource for physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers to help answer questions regarding anti-infective agents. To assess type, requestor, resources dedicated, and temporal trends of questions received through an ID pharmacist on call pager program. A secondary objective was to gather insight as to how this information was utilized to inform educational initiatives.

A Review of Antiviral and Antifungal Use and Safety during Pregnancy.

Antiviral and antifungal use in pregnancy presents challenges because of the paucity of clinical and safety data for many agents in these classes. If untreated, viral and fungal infections can have deleterious effects on both maternal and fetal health. Understanding the use and risks of these medications in pregnancy is vital to provide appropriate care.

Impact of hyperglycemia on outcomes of patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia.

Bacteremia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In other bacterial infections, hyperglycemia has been identified as a risk factor for mortality in nondiabetic patients. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of early hyperglycemia on outcomes in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with P.

Outcomes and Risk Factors for Mortality among Patients Treated with Carbapenems for Klebsiella spp. Bacteremia.

Background: Extensive dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has led to increased resistance among Klebsiella species. Carbapenems are used as a last resort against resistant pathogens, but carbapenemase production can lead to therapy failure. Identification of risk factors for mortality and assessment of current susceptibility breakpoints are valuable for improving patient outcomes.

In vitro assessment and multicenter cohort study of comparative nephrotoxicity rates associated with colistimethate versus polymyxin B therapy.

Despite concerns of nephrotoxicity, polymyxin antibiotics often remain the only susceptible agents for multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. Colistin has been more commonly used clinically due to a perceived safety benefit. We compared the nephrotoxicity of colistin to polymyxin B.

Crofelemer for the treatment of chronic diarrhea in patients living with HIV/AIDS.

Diarrhea is a common comorbidity present in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) who are treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. With a multifactorial etiology, this diarrhea often becomes difficult to manage. In addition, some antiretrovirals are associated with chronic diarrhea, which potentially creates an adherence barrier to antiretrovirals and may ultimately affect treatment outcomes and future therapeutic options for HIV.

Significant publications on infectious diseases pharmacotherapy in 2011.

Purpose: Important articles on topics pertinent to infectious diseases (ID) pharmacotherapy published in prominent peer-reviewed journals in 2011 are summarized.

Summary: Pharmacists, physicians, and researchers from the Houston Infectious Diseases Network were asked to nominate articles published in 2011 that they perceived as having a significant impact on the field of ID pharmacotherapy. The resulting list, comprising 10 articles related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 38 articles on a broad range of other ID-related topics, was sent to members of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) for evaluation via an Internet survey.

Evaluation of a daptomycin dose-optimization protocol.

Purpose: The impact of an institutional protocol intended to improve daptomycin dosing for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections was investigated.

Summary: Daptomycin has been reported to have optimal activity against VRE at weight-based doses of ≥8 mg/kg. As part of an initiative to optimize daptomycin dosing for all indications and regimens, a large medical center implemented a protocol restricting daptomycin prescribing to infectious-diseases specialists and a nomogram recommending elevated daptomycin dosing for all VRE infections, with baseline and weekly creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) determinations during daptomycin therapy.

Crofelemer for the treatment of secretory diarrhea.

Secretory diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Crofelemer is a first-in-class antidiarrheal agent that simultaneously targets two distinct channels, the cystic fibrosis conductance regulator and calcium-activated chloride channel, responsible for chloride and fluid secretion in the GI tract. Crofelemer is a novel compound extracted from the stem bark latex of the Croton lechleri tree found in the western Amazonian region of South America.

Improving patient care through implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program.

Purpose: The implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program at a health system is described.

Summary: In 2008, the Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Epidemiology (CASE) was formed at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (SLEH) to improve the quality of care for patients as it related to antimicrobial therapy.

A model to predict mortality following Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia.

Infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are associated with significant mortality. Existing mathematical models identifying mortality risk factors lack validation. We developed and validated a model to predict mortality in patients with P.

Significant publications on infectious diseases pharmacotherapy in 2010.

Purpose: Important articles on topics pertinent to infectious diseases (ID) pharmacotherapy published in prominent peer-reviewed journals in 2010 are summarized.

Summary: At the end of 2010, pharmacists, physicians, and researchers in the Houston Infectious Diseases Network were asked to nominate articles published from January through December 2010 that they perceived as having a significant impact in the field of ID pharmacotherapy. The resulting list, comprising 27 articles relating to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 52 articles on a broad range of other ID-related topics, was sent to members of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) for evaluation via an Internet survey.

Significant publications on infectious diseases pharmacotherapy in 2009.

Purpose: Significant publications on infectious diseases (ID) pharmacotherapy in 2009 are summarized.

Summary: On December 31, 2009, the Houston Infectious Diseases Network amassed a list of articles identified as having a significant impact on ID pharmacotherapy. Articles selected were published between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, in prominent, peer-reviewed journals.

Rifaximin: a nonsystemic rifamycin antibiotic for gastrointestinal infections.

Use of nonsystemic antimicrobials with activity against enteropathogens is a promising approach for treatment of infectious diarrhea and other nonsystemic gastrointestinal infections. Rifaximin is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of Escherichia coli in patients aged 12 years and older, and for the reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence in patients aged 18 years or older. Rifaximin has been available in Italy since 1987 and overall is approved in 33 countries for various conditions, such as acute and chronic infections, bacterial diarrhea, HE, and pre- and postsurgical prophylaxis.