Electronic Tracking of Patients in an Outpatient Ophthalmology Clinic to Improve Efficient Flow: A Feasibility Analysis and Benchmarking Study.

Introduction: Real-time location systems (RTLS) and Lean management approaches have been employed to improve patient flow in clinical settings. This study explored the feasibility of using these methodologies in an outpatient resident ophthalmology clinic.

Methods: Patients, providers, and staff in Wilmer Eye Institute General Eye Services Clinic were provided RTLS tags to track their movement throughout the clinic after observational studies modeling flow were conducted.

Hospital benchmarking: are U.S. eye hospitals ready?

Background: Benchmarking is increasingly considered a useful management instrument to improve quality in health care, but little is known about its applicability in hospital settings.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to assess the applicability of a benchmarking project in U.S.

Antibacterial oxazolidinones possessing a novel C-5 side chain. (5R)-trans-3-[3-Fluoro-4- (1-oxotetrahydrothiopyran-4-yl)phenyl]-2- oxooxazolidine-5-carboxylic acid amide (PF-00422602), a new lead compound.

Oxazolidinones possessing a C-5 carboxamide functionality (reverse amides) represent a new series of compounds that block bacterial protein synthesis. These reverse amides also exhibited less potency against monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzymes and thus possess less potential for the side effects associated with MAO inhibition. The title compound (14) showed reduced in vivo myelotoxicity compared to linezolid in a 14-day safety study in rats, potent in vivo efficacy in murine systemic infection models, and excellent pharmacokinetic properties.

Identification of phenylisoxazolines as novel and viable antibacterial agents active against Gram-positive pathogens.

A new and promising group of antibacterial agents, collectively known as the oxazolidinones and exemplified by linezolid (PNU-100766, marketed as Zyvox), have recently emerged as important new therapeutic agents for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Because of their significance, extensive synthetic investigations into the structure-activity relationships of the oxazolidinones have been conducted at Pharmacia. One facet of this research effort has focused on the identification of bioisosteric replacements for the usual oxazolidinone A-ring.

Oxazolidinone antibiotics target the P site on Escherichia coli ribosomes.

The oxazolidinones are a novel class of antimicrobial agents that target protein synthesis in a wide spectrum of gram-positive and anaerobic bacteria. The oxazolidinone PNU-100766 (linezolid) inhibits the binding of fMet-tRNA to 70S ribosomes. Mutations to oxazolidinone resistance in Halobacterium halobium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli map at or near domain V of the 23S rRNA, suggesting that the oxazolidinones may target the peptidyl transferase region responsible for binding fMet-tRNA.