Article
Infectious Diseases
Alisha Zubair Hussain, Vibhu Paudyal, Muhammad Abdul Hadi
Summary: The study found a significant reduction in the prescribing of commonly used first-line antibiotics in English primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for treating meningitis and respiratory tract infections. This decrease is attributed to national lockdowns, social distancing, and hygiene practices, and may also be influenced by a reduction in face-to-face consultations at healthcare facilities.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rikke Vognbjerg Sydenham, Dorte Ejg Jarbol, Malene Plejdrup Hansen, Ulrik Stenz Justesen, Verity Watson, Line Bjornskov Pedersen
Summary: This study aimed to assess factors influencing Danish GPs' decision to prescribe antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and identify different segments of GPs influenced by these factors. The results showed that the CRP value was the most important factor influencing GPs' decision to prescribe antibiotics, while other factors had heterogeneous effects on GPs.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Charlesnika T. Evans, Margaret A. Fitzpatrick, Linda Poggensee, Beverly Gonzalez, Gretchen Gibson, M. Marianne Jurasic, Kelly Echevarria, Jessina C. McGregor, Walid F. Gellad, Katie J. Suda
Summary: High prescribers of antibiotics and opioids are an important target for stewardship interventions. This study found that high antibiotic prescribers among medical providers and dentists were more likely to also be high prescribers of opioids, with dentists showing a stronger association. Older providers, specific geographic regions, and lower facility complexity and rurality were associated with high opioid prescribing among medical providers, while younger providers, males, specific regions, and lower number of dentists in a facility were associated with high opioid prescribing among dentists. The study also found that high dental prescribers and high medical prescribers of antibiotics or opioids were not at the same facilities.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lu Liu, Zhehan Jiang, Ana Xie, Weimin Wang
Summary: The vancomycin prescribing confidence questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability through principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Differences in confidence levels were observed based on experience, providing external validity evidence for the questionnaire. Teaching hospitals can use this questionnaire to assess junior doctors' vancomycin prescribing confidence.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hallie C. Prescott, Sarah Seelye, Xiao Qing Wang, Cainnear K. Hogan, Joshua T. Smith, Patricia Kipnis, Fernando Barreda, John P. Donnelly, Jason M. Pogue, Theodore J. Iwashyna, Makoto M. Jones, Vincent X. Liu
Summary: By examining the temporal changes in antimicrobial timing for sepsis, this study aims to assess the impact on antimicrobial use, days of therapy, and broadness of antimicrobial coverage among hospitalized patients at risk for sepsis.
JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Matua Bonniface, Winnie Nambatya, Kalidi Rajab
Summary: The study in a rural district in Uganda found inappropriate antibiotic prescribing practices, such as excessive antibiotic use and failure to adhere to national treatment guidelines. There is a need to strengthen antibiotic use in health facilities through stewardship programs and interventions to promote adherence to guidelines.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Leanne Teoh, Matthew Hopcraft, Michael McCullough, Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis, Ruby Biezen
Summary: This pilot study aimed to assess prescriptions by general medical practitioners (GPs) for dental presentations in Australia. The results showed that only 23.6% of the prescriptions were considered appropriate according to the Australian national dental guidelines. This indicates a need to better understand the drivers for antibiotic prescription and provide resources for GPs to manage dental presentations. The results will inform targeted interventions to address educational gaps and barriers to accessing dental treatment, thereby improving antibiotic prescribing.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Xiaomin Zhong, Alexander Pate, Ya-Ting Yang, Ali Fahmi, Darren M. Ashcroft, Ben Goldacre, Brian MacKenna, Amir Mehrkar, Sebastian C. J. Bacon, Jon Massey, Louis Fisher, Peter Inglesby, Kieran Hand, Tjeerd van Staa, Victoria Palin
Summary: This study aimed to predict risks of potentially inappropriate antibiotic type and repeat prescribing and assess changes during COVID-19. The study found no evidence of changes in the level of inappropriate or repeat antibiotic prescribing after the start of COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Laura M. Hamill, Julia Bonnett, Megan F. Baxter, Melina Kreutz, Kerina J. Denny, Gerben Keijzers
Summary: Inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing in the emergency department can lead to poor outcomes. This study aimed to describe decision-making, confidence, and appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in the ED. Results showed that over one-third of prescribing was guided by senior clinicians, with prescribers having high confidence regardless of seniority.
Article
Immunology
George N. Coritsidis, Sean Yaphe, Ilay Rahkman, Teresa Lubowski, Carly Munro, Ti-Kuang Lee, Aaron Stern, Premila Bhat
Summary: This study investigated antibiotic prescribing practices in ESRD patients in New York State, highlighting a higher proportion of ESRD patients receiving antibiotics compared to non-ESRD patients, with some dosages not in line with current guidelines. The top infectious categories varied between ESRD and non-ESRD patients, emphasizing the need for appropriate antibiotic usage and education among healthcare providers.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Francesco Napolitano, Concetta Paola Pelullo, Monica Lamberti, Giovanna Donnarumma, Gabriella Di Giuseppe
Summary: This study evaluates antimicrobial prescribing practices in hospitals in Italy, focusing on antibiotic appropriateness. The findings show that over one third of patients received inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Factors such as being female, having a high Charlson comorbidity index score, and longer hospital stays were associated with inappropriate prescriptions.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
M. M. Fedotova, V. P. Chigrina, A. V. Shirinskaya, S. V. Fedosenko, O. S. Fedorova
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat, and the misuse of antibiotics is the main contributing factor. This study aims to explore antibiotic prescribing practices and perceptions of AMR among healthcare practitioners (HCPs) in the Russian Federation.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Utpal Kumar Mondal, Tahmidul Haque, Md Abdullah Al Jubayer Biswas, Syed Moinuddin Satter, Md Saiful Islam, Zahidul Alam, Mohammad Shojon, Shubroto Debnath, Mohaiminul Islam, Haroon Bin Murshid, Md Zakiul Hassan, Nusrat Homaira
Summary: This study investigated the prescribing practices of Bangladeshi physicians in treating COVID-19 patients with antibiotics. The findings revealed that the majority of physicians prescribed antibiotics to COVID-19 patients regardless of disease severity, particularly those working in COVID-19-dedicated hospitals. The study also found that most physicians believed antibiotics should be given to COVID-19 patients with underlying respiratory conditions.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Amanda M. Lindkvist, Timothy J. Luke
Summary: This study examined choice overload in the context of charitable behavior and found that the number of options for charitable organizations did not affect donation behavior, regardless of individuals' preference certainty.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Angel Orion Salgado-Peralvo, Naresh Kewalramani, Juan Francisco Pena-Cardelles, Maria Victoria Mateos-Moreno, Loreto Monsalve-Guil, Alvaro Jimenez-Guerra, Ivan Ortiz-Garcia, Eugenio Velasco-Ortega
Summary: Professionals in oral implantology frequently prescribe preventive antibiotics in both healthy and at-risk patients; amoxicillin is the most commonly used antibiotic, while clindamycin is the most commonly used antibiotic in patients with allergies; antibiotics are often used by professionals in oral implantology both preoperatively and postoperatively.
Article
Immunology
Timothy M. Rawson, Bernard Hernandez, Luke S. P. Moore, Pau Herrero, Esmita Charani, Damien Ming, Richard C. Wilson, Oliver Blandy, Shiranee Sriskandan, Mark Gilchrist, Christofer Toumazou, Pantelis Georgiou, Alison H. Holmes
Summary: A locally developed case-based reasoning algorithm for antimicrobial prescribing in secondary care was evaluated. The algorithm provided more accurate and narrower spectrum recommendations compared to current clinical practice, with a higher likelihood of being classified as Access class antimicrobials. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of this intervention on prescribing behaviors and patient outcomes.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Nina Zhu, Paul Aylin, Timothy Rawson, Mark Gilchrist, Azeem Majeed, Alison Holmes
Summary: Since the first lockdown due to COVID-19, there has been a sustained reduction in community antibiotic prescribing in London. The rate of decrease accelerated after the initial peak and continued into winter and the second peak. Despite an overall reduction in prescribing volume, some antibiotics experienced an increase in prescriptions, with prescribing aligning with national guidelines during the pandemic period.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Letter
Infectious Diseases
Eskild Petersen, Daniel Lucey, Lucille Blumberg, Laura D. Kramer, Seif Al-Abri, Shui Shan Lee, Tatiana de Castro Abreu Pinto, Christina W. Obiero, Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales, Richard Yapi, Aisha Abubakar, Paul Anantharajah Tambyah, Alison Holmes, Lin H. Chen
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Surgery
Shalini Ahuja, Nathan Peiffer-Smadja, Kimberly Peven, Michelle White, Andrew J. M. Leather, Sanjeev Singh, Marc Mendelson, Alison Holmes, Gabriel Birgand, Nick Sevdalis
Summary: This study conducted a systematic scoping review of 21 studies on surgical site infection and antibiotic usage, finding that feedback plays a key role in reducing SSI rates and optimizing antibiotic usage. However, the optimal method, format, and frequency of feedback remain unclear and require further research and exploration.
Review
Microbiology
Timothy M. Rawson, Richard C. Wilson, Danny O'Hare, Pau Herrero, Andrew Kambugu, Mohammed Lamorde, Matthew Ellington, Pantelis Georgiou, Anthony Cass, William W. Hope, Alison H. Holmes
Summary: Precision antimicrobial dosing and novel monitoring methods play a crucial role in improving patient outcomes and combating antimicrobial resistance, as there is significant variability in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents. Holmes and colleagues discuss how individualized treatment and biosensors can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship in the face of these challenges.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Nina J. Zhu, Timothy M. Rawson, Siddharth Mookerjee, James R. Price, Frances Davies, Jonathan Otter, Paul Aylin, Russell Hope, Mark Gilchrist, Yeeshika Shersing, Alison Holmes
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the patterns of community- and hospital-acquired bloodstream infections in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. There was a high incidence of hospital-acquired bacteremia during the COVID-19 waves, especially in SARS-CoV-2-negative elective patients.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Petros Ioannou, Stamatis Karakonstantis, Jeroen Schouten, Tomislav Kostyanev, Esmita Charani, Vera Vlahovic-Palcevski, Diamantis P. Kofteridis
Summary: This study explores the targets for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions for medical antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) in adult patients. Potential targets include addressing underutilization of antibiotic-sparing strategies, reducing unnecessary AP beyond recommended indications, reducing the use of broad-spectrum AP, controlling the duration of AP, evaluating the role of antibiotic cycling, and addressing research gaps regarding appropriate indications and regimens for medical prophylaxis.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jonathan Cooke
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL PHARMACY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Pakoyo F. Kamba, Winnie Nambatya, Herbert B. Aguma, Esmita Charani, Kalidi Rajab
Summary: Resource constraints and poverty in low- and middle-income countries undermine disease prevention and access to medicines. Uganda has taken measures to ensure sustainable use of medicines but faces challenges such as inadequate access, inappropriate use, and poor quality and disposal.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gabriel Birgand, Esmita Charani, Raheelah Ahmad, Candice Bonaconsa, Oluchi Mbamalu, Vrinda Nampoothiri, Surya Surendran, Tom G. Weiser, Alison Holmes, Marc Mendelson, Sanjeev Singh
Summary: This article summarizes the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on an international project tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The pandemic disrupted the research leadership, data access, and stakeholder engagement. The key principles for successful research during the pandemic include interdisciplinary engagement, equitable partnerships, and flexibility in funding and project inputs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Letter
Infectious Diseases
Paul Arkell, Richard Wilson, David B. Antcliffe, Mark Gilchrist, Alan R. Noel, Mark Wilson, Sophie C. Barnes, Killian Watkins, Alison Holmes, Timothy M. Rawson
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Surya Surendran, Enrique Castro-Sanchez, Vrinda Nampoothiri, Shiny Joseph, Sanjeev Singh, Carolyn Tarrant, Alison Holmes, Esmita Charani
Summary: This study investigates the roles of patient carers in infection-related care on surgical wards in a South Indian hospital. The findings reveal that carers play important but unrecognized roles in patient care, actively participating in personal and clinical care activities. However, there is a misalignment between their actual roles and how they are positioned by the organization and healthcare workers.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Frances Garraghan, Omotayo Olaoye, Eva M. Krockow, Ayodeji Matuluko, Winnie Nambatya, Peter Ahabwe Babigumira, Chloe Tuck, George Amofah, Daniel Ankrah, Scott Barrett, Peter Benedict, Kwame Peprah Boaitey, Kwame Ohene Buabeng, Sarah Cavanagh, Esmita Charani, Enock Chikatula, Sam Ghebrehewet, Jasmin Islam, Yogini H. Jani, Esther Johnston, Mohammed Lamorde, Augustine Malinga, Mariyam Mirfenderesky, Victoria Rutter, Jacqueline Sneddon, Richard Skone-James
Summary: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is an important measure to curb the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study developed a contextualized AMS checklist tool for healthcare settings in Sub-Saharan Africa and successfully implemented it in four African countries, demonstrating improvements in AMS.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Esmita Charani, Martin Mckee, Manica Balasegaram, Marc Mendelson, Sanjeev Singh, Alison H. Holmes
Article
Infectious Diseases
Esmita Charani
Summary: Research shows that antibiotic use is a social process influenced by socio-cultural and socio-economic factors. To optimize antibiotic use, solutions must be context-specific and co-developed with end users. The threat of antimicrobial resistance is not confined by geographical boundaries, and interventions should be scalable across different settings. Addressing global inequities requires building in-country capacity for sustainable research and locally generated knowledge.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
