Rapid Molecular Testing for UTIs: A Diagnostic Stewardship Perspective.

With increased focus on antimicrobial stewardship in post-acute, long-term care (PALTC) settings, optimization of diagnostic testing is essential. Molecular diagnostics are currently being offered and used for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in community and PALTC settings. Yet, no studies to date explore the role of rapid diagnostics such as polymerase chain reaction and other molecular methods in the stewardship efforts of PALTC settings, specifically compared with standard testing with urinalysis and culture with antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: An updated primer for clinicians in the era of antimicrobial resistance: Insights from the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a critical function of the clinical microbiology laboratory and is essential for optimizing care of patients with infectious diseases, monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends, and informing public health initiatives. Several methods are available for performing AST including broth microdilution, agar dilution, and disk diffusion. Technological advances such as the development of commercial automated susceptibility testing platforms and the advent of rapid diagnostic tests have improved the rapidity, robustness, and clinical application of AST.

Evaluation of team communication in an interprofessional inpatient transition of care simulation.

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) provides unique opportunities for students to better understand their roles, roles of other healthcare professionals, and prepare for teamwork for patient benefit. Interprofessional team education is recognized as a key element in the 2016 ACPE standards.

Objective: Assess student self-perceived competence in four IPEC domains after an inpatient simulation activity.

The Power of Peer Mentoring to Support Women Pharmacy Faculty Personally and Professionally.

Regardless of a faculty member's career stage, effective mentoring is critical for successful professional development and a thriving academic career. Traditional mentor-mentee relationships can be effective but may present challenges for some faculty depending on their individual needs and institutional resources. The use of peer mentoring circles, where group members serve as both mentor and mentee, may provide additional resources and benefits to faculty at all career stages and appear especially beneficial for women faculty because of their focus on interconnectedness and collaboration.

Strategies for Students to Optimize Their Learning Experience in Virtual Patient-Care Settings.

Authors respond to the article by Dr. Karaoui and colleagues from the November issue of volume 35 in this journal that describes challenges in pharmacy education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors are students who provide strategies for student success while on virtual introductory or Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences during COVID-19.

Optimizing rapid diagnostics and diagnostic stewardship in Gram-negative bacteremia.

Antimicrobial resistance remains a high global concern, as it is associated with prolonged hospitalizations, increased morbidity and mortality, and escalating healthcare-related costs. Rapid diagnostic technology (RDT) has become the cornerstone in achieving prompt blood culture results providing a quicker initiation of optimal therapy, decreased mortality, and decreased spread of resistance. To maximize the benefits of RDTs, antimicrobial stewardship programs must implement a diagnostic stewardship (DS) subgroup to optimize communication, education, and interpretation of RDT results within the healthcare system.

It's time to rethink your approach to C diff infection.

Metronidazole is no longer the drug of choice for first-line therapy. And fecal microbiota transplantation has proven effective for certain patients.

A Comprehensive Survey of Infectious Diseases Curriculum Among US Pharmacy Schools.

To describe what and how infectious diseases (ID) topics are taught in US schools of pharmacy and summarize pharmacy faculty members' and students' perceived successes and challenges in teaching and learning about ID. A 23-item survey instrument was distributed electronically to ID faculty members at 137 US pharmacy schools. Data collected included curricular hours and format, topics covered, active-learning strategies, and curricular successes and concerns.

Assessment of mortality stratified by meropenem minimum inhibitory concentration in patients with Enterobacteriaceae bacteraemia: A patient-level analysis of published data.

In 2010, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) lowered carbapenem breakpoints to reduce the proportion of 'susceptible' organisms that produced carbapenemases. Few studies have evaluated the effect of this change on clinical outcomes. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of carbapenem MICs on 30-day mortality from pooled patient-level data from studies of patients treated with carbapenems across a range of meropenem MICs.

Evaluation of pharmacy student perceptions and stereotypes of healthcare professionals before and after an internal medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience.

Background: A focus of delivering effective patient-centered care is working as an interprofessional team. Pharmacy students may harbor stereotypes of other healthcare professions that could impede collaboration. The objective of this study was to assess pharmacy student ratings of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals' characteristics before and after their internal medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) to determine if the APPE altered their stereotypes.

bacteremia and hepatic abscess in a non-neutropenic patient.

A 43-year-old previously healthy man presented with altered mental status, diaphoresis, and fevers following a ruptured appendicitis and appendectomy. The patient had growth of and in blood cultures and imaging of the abdomen revealed a large hepatic abscess. is an uncommon cause of bacteremia in non-neutropenic patients.

Comprehensive Assessment of Didactic Curriculum and Career Interest in Infectious Diseases Among Graduating United States Pharmacy Students.

Background: The growing need for clinicians with antimicrobial stewardship (AS) skills has resulted in an examination of educational methods for pharmacy and medical learners. This study explores characteristics associated with student assessment of didactic infectious diseases (ID) education quality and variables associated with a career interest in ID and/or AS.

Methods: Infectious diseases faculty from US pharmacy schools were sent a 15-question survey in September 2017.

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.

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.