ClinRefLink: implementation of infobutton-like functionality in a commercial clinical information system incorporating concepts from textual documents.

Clinical information systems offer an opportunity to provide clinicians with medical reference materials during clinical encounters when the information is most beneficial. Implementation of this "Infobutton" concept has been described by a number of institutions with locally developed clinical information systems and electronic medical records. This article describes the development of an infobutton-like application called ClinRefLink embedded within a commercial clinical information system.

A comparison of cefditoren pivoxil and amoxicillin/ clavulanate in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia: a multicenter, prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded, parallel-group study.

Background: Cefditoren pivoxil is a broad-spectrum cephalosporin that is approved for the treatment of pharyngitis, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, and skin and skin-structure infections.

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the efficacy and tolerability of cefditoren in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Amoxicillin/clavulanate was chosen as a comparator because of its established efficacy and general acceptance as a standard of care in CAP.

Cefditoren pivoxil versus cefpodoxime proxetil for community-acquired pneumonia: results of a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

Background: According to recently issued treatment guidelines, appropriate empiric choices for ambulatory patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are a macrolide, doxycycline (for patients aged > or = 8 years), or an oral beta-lactam agent with good activity against pneumococci.

Objective: This study was designed to compare cefditoren pivoxil, a new beta-lactam, with cefpodoxime proxetil, a beta-lactam with an established role in the treatment of CAP.

Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind study conducted in the United States and South Africa.

Randomized, double-blind, multicenter comparison of oral cefditoren 200 or 400 mg BID with either cefuroxime 250 mg BID or cefadroxil 500 mg BID for the treatment of uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections.

Background: Uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections are commonly observed in medical practice. Because these infections typically are confined to the superficial layers and seldom lead to the destruction of skin structures and resultant systemic dissemination, in general they can be treated with an oral antibiotic with potent microbiologic activity against gram-positive pathogens.

Objective: This paper compares the efficacy and tolerability of 3 beta-lactam antibiotics in patients with uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections.