Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices in a Subset of Community Pharmacies across the United States.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship in the community is essential as most antibiotic prescribing occurs in the outpatient setting. Pharmacists are recognized as co-leaders for implementing efforts to improve antimicrobial use.

Objectives: the purpose of this study is to evaluate current antimicrobial stewardship practices in community pharmacies across the United States and identify perceptions and challenges faced by community pharmacists.

A Peer Educational Tool to Promote Antimicrobial Stewardship on a University Campus.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat. Patient education on the appropriate use of antibiotics is a key component in combating antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study was to analyze the utility of an origami fortune teller as a novel peer educational tool in promoting antimicrobial stewardship on a university campus.

Assessment of the Implementation of AUC Dosing and Monitoring Practices With Vancomycin at Hospitals Across the United States.

Introduction: The latest vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring guidelines for serious MRSA infections have made a pivotal change in dosing, switching from targeting trough levels to AUC dosing. Because of these new recommendations, antimicrobial stewardship programs across the country are tasked with implementing AUC based dosing.

Objectives: To assess plans for institutional adoption of vancomycin AUC dosing programs and perceptions of currently used programs in hospitals across the US.

Adolescent with osteomyelitis after intramuscular administration of a vaccine: A case report.

Objective: To emphasize adverse outcomes associated with applying adult immunization protocols to the pediatric population.

Case Summary: A 15-year-old female with no past medical history developed severe pain in her left arm and decreased range of motion 11 days after receiving an intramuscular injection of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Over the following month, she was treated with a short course of steroids for frozen shoulder and gabapentin for Parsonage-Turner syndrome.

A Review and Clinical Understanding of Tenofovir: Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate versus Tenofovir Alafenamide.

HIV is a serious chronic medical condition. Significant improvements in antiretroviral therapy have led to a transformation in its management. No curative treatment is available for HIV, and lifelong therapy is required with a combination of agents to control viral replication and prevent complications.

Overview and Insights into Carbapenem Allergy.

Understanding antibiotic allergies and the risk of cross-sensitivity between and within antibiotic classes can have a substantial impact on patient care. The purpose of this review article is to provide insight into carbapenem allergies, describing the overall incidence, risk factors, and in-class cross-sensitivity. A PubMed search was conducted using the following search terms: carbapenem, allergy, cross-sensitivity, incidence, imipenem/cilastatin, meropenem, ertapenem, and doripenem.

Practical Implications of New Antibiotic Agents for the Treatment of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Objective: To provide insight into the practical implications of the use of ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam for the management of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and to identify strategies for overcoming barriers to the use of these agents in clinical practice.

Data Sources: A literature search of PubMed was conducted using the following search terms: ceftazidime/avibactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, antimicrobial stewardship, and clinical laboratory standards institute. Abstracts from infectious diseases conferences, article bibliographies, and relevant drug monographs were also reviewed.

Meropenem-Vaborbactam (Vabomere): Another Option for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Meropenem-Vaborbactam (Vabomere) for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

A rare fungus on the rise: .

Purpose: An overview of the growing health threat posed by the fungus is provided, including a review of the literature and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations on identification, treatment, and infection control.

Summary: Since was first identified in Japan in 2009, cases of infection have been on the rise in several parts of the world, including the United States, where the first case was reported in 2017; as of November 2017, a total of 206 U.S.

Bezlotoxumab (Zinplava) for Infection: The First Monoclonal Antibody Approved to Prevent the Recurrence of a Bacterial Infection.

Bezlotoxumab (Zinplava) to prevent the recurrence of infection.

Risk factors for nephrotoxicity onset associated with polymyxin B therapy.

Objectives: Polymyxin B is an active agent against many MDR Gram-negative bacteria, but nephrotoxicity is a major hindrance to its widespread use. To guide its optimal use, we determined the risk factors for nephrotoxicity onset associated with polymyxin B.

Methods: In a multicentre, retrospective, cohort study, we evaluated adult patients with normal renal function who received ≥72 h of polymyxin B therapy.

Antimicrobial salvage therapy for persistent staphylococcal bacteremia using daptomycin plus ceftaroline.

Purpose: Guidelines recommend daptomycin combination therapy as an option for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia after vancomycin failure. Recent data suggest that combining daptomycin with a β-lactam may have unique benefits; however, there are very limited clinical data regarding the use of ceftaroline with daptomycin.

Methods: All 26 cases from the 10 medical centers in which ceftaroline plus daptomycin was used for treatment of documented refractory staphylococcal bacteremia from March 2011 to November 2012 were included.

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.