Background: Purulent skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) requiring medical attention are often managed in primary care. The prevalence of SSTIs caused by community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has been increasing rapidly, including in otherwise healthy individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines to improve the management of SSTIs in primary care.
Purpose: In primary care settings, to assess the prevalence of CA-MRSA using an electronic chart audit and then evaluate SSTI management strategies consistent with CDC guidelines.
Methods: A practical intervention that compared a historical cohort to an intervention cohort of patients seen for SSTI in 16 primary care practices in two health care systems. The intervention included a ready-made kit for I & D procedures, MRSA information for clinicians, a patient information handout, provider education, and patient follow-up.
Results: A total of 3112 SSTI cases (cellulitis or purulent) were observed during the preintervention period and 1406 cases during the intervention. For purulent infections in the intervention period (n = 148), univariate and multivariate analyses showed no significant improvement in the rate of I & D procedures or cultures obtained but showed increased use of antibiotics overall and agents that typically cover MRSA strains (OR, 2.183; 95% CI, 1.443 to 3.303 and 2.624; 95% CI, 1.500 to 4.604, respectively). For infections that were cellulitis with or without purulence (n = 1258), overall rates in the use of antibiotics and those that cover MRSA increased significantly, but secular trends could not be ruled out as an explanation for this increase.
Conclusion: In SSTIs, this intervention resulted in increased use of antibiotics, including antibiotics that typically cover MRSA strains, but did not demonstrate increased rates of recommended drainage procedures. It is replicable and portable, and may improve antibiotic selection in other settings.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2011.05.110018 | DOI Listing |
Int J Med Inform
January 2025
Rheumatology and Allergy Clinical Epidemiology Research Center and Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, and Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA. Electronic address:
Background: ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare but serious disease. Traditional case-identification methods using claims data can be time-intensive and may miss important subgroups. We hypothesized that a deep learning model analyzing electronic health records (EHR) can more accurately identify AAV cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Form Res
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.
Background: Telehealth approaches can address health care access barriers and improve care delivery in resource-limited settings around the globe. Yet, telehealth adoption in Africa has been limited, due in part to an insufficient understanding of effective strategies for implementation.
Objective: This study aimed to conduct a multi-level formative evaluation identifying barriers and facilitators for implementing telehealth among health service providers and patients in Central Uganda.
Clin Exp Optom
January 2025
Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Clinical Relevance: Interprofessional education and collaborative working are known to improve patient outcomes. The evidence to support this approach in optometry is lacking.
Background: There is no published evidence into the effectiveness of interprofessional education for pharmacy and optometry students.
JMIR Cancer
January 2025
Kulliyah of Nursing, International Islamic University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
Background: Many cancer survivors experience a wide range of symptoms closely linked to psychological problems, highlighting the need for psychological treatment, one of the most popular being mindfulness. The use of the internet has greatly increased in the last decade, and has encouraged the use of remote-based interventions to help people living with cancer access treatment remotely via devices.
Objective: The primary aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of internet-based mindfulness interventions on the physical symptoms of people living with cancer, where physical symptoms are defined as distressing somatic experiences (eg fatigue, insomnia, and pain) regardless of the underlying cause.
Gerontologist
January 2025
Center on the Ecology of Early Development (CEED), Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background And Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern that uniquely impacts older Black Americans, a population also likely to have family members also diagnosed with CKD. This study aimed to (1) describe how participants viewed their decision preferences considering the experiences of family, and friends previously diagnosed with CKD, and (2) to understand how these social complexities informed their own decisions for future CKD care.
Research Design And Methods: Utilizing a phenomenologically-informed approach, this study explored participants' perceptions of how patients and their family members' experiences with CKD influenced treatment-related decision-making.
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