|
PHARMACOLOGY CONSULT |
| A reminder about treating urinary tract infections |
August 2008 |
| Even products used to sterilize can contaminate
|
April 2008 |
| Limited data on cold medicines for
kids |
November 2007: An
FDA panel last month recommended against using these medications in children
younger than age 6. |
| Complementary and alternative medicine for
infectious diseases: Are they helpful? |
September 2007:
Because CAM therapies are often viewed as more ‘natural,’ patients
may not consider the potential for interactions with other drugs. |
| Physicians should be aware of recent FDA drug
alerts for antiinfective agents |
August 2007 |
| Pharmacotherapy of C.
difficile-associated disease |
July 2007:
Metronidazole and vancomycin are recommended for initial treatment of the
disease. |
| Optimal antibiotic dosing for obese patients a
challenge for clinicians |
June 2007: It is
sometimes unclear whether total body weight should be used or if an adjusted
body weight may be more appropriate. |
| Many factors involved in decolonization of S.
aureus |
May 2007: Current
treatment strategies demonstrate varying levels of effectiveness. |
| Anti-infective drug therapy may lead to
dysrhythmia risk |
April 2007: Numerous
antibacterials have been withdrawn from the market or abandoned in various
phases of development due to their potential to cause this life-threatening
toxicity. |
| Antibiotic choices for CA-MRSA
infections |
March 2007:
Treatment options for community-associated MRSA differ from those of health
care-associated MRSA. |
| New guidelines assist with antimicrobial
stewardship efforts |
February 2007:
Providing appropriate antibiotic therapy should be considered a key
component of patient safety initiatives. |
| How can we decrease antibiotic
resistance? |
January 2007:
Educating both physicians and caregivers about appropriate antibiotic use
is important to decreasing antibiotic resistance. |
| The basics of antibiotic bead
therapy |
December 2006: The
process for manufacturing beads is not standardized between institutions. |
| It is time to get your influenza
shot |
November 2006:
Health care workers, as well as much of the general population, have been
targeted for annual influenza vaccination. |
| Take another look at acetaminophen, ibuprofen or
both for managing fever |
October 2006 |
| The role of therapeutic drug monitoring in
antifungal therapy |
September 2006:
Although well defined for anticonvulsant and immunosuppressant drug
classes, the utility of TDM for antimicrobial therapies is controversial. |
| Focus on the echinocandins |
August 2006: This
class of antifungal agents is proven to be safe and effective for treatment of
fungal infections such as Candida. |
| New options for varicella prophylaxis now
available |
July 2006: If
vaccination is not an option, immune globulin preparations made from plasma
with high levels of antivaricella antibodies can be used. |
| Should we be using oral fluoroquinolones for
AOM? |
June 2006:
Resistance to fluoroquinolones has been noted in a small percentage of
isolates, but many fear widespread pediatric use would drive up resistance
rates. |
| Physicians consider probiotics for management of
antibiotic-associated diarrhea |
May 2006: Prevention
of diarrhea through judicious use of antibacterial agents and good infection
control remains our best defense. |
| What are the implications for antiviral
resistance among common influenza strains? |
April 2006:
Resistance pattern of the current strain prohibits use of the admantanes
for prohylaxis or treatment, leaving only the neuraminidase inhibitors. |
| Pertussis vaccines seek to limit spread from
adults and adolescents to infants |
March 2006: The
first pertussis vaccine was introduced in the 1940s, and within 30 years, there
was a 99% reduction in disease. |
| Vancomycin: can we teach the mainstay of therapy
for gram–positives new tricks? |
February 2006:
Future studies will examine the role of vancomycin therapeutic drug
monitoring in treating gram–positive infections. |
| Pregabalin shows efficacy in treatment for
postherpetic neuralgia |
January 2006:
However, there are no data comparing pregabalin to other agents that are
also effective in treating postherpetic neuralgia. |
| Treatment options outlined for cutaneous
leishmaniasis |
December 2005: Given
the limited treatment options for cutaneous leishmaniasis, it is important for
clinicians to understand the available agents to treat this disease. |
| Treatment options exist for CA-MRSA
infection |
November 2005: S.
aureus isolates displaying resistance to ß-lactam antibiotics have
been identified for more than 30 years. |
| Comparison of newer antifungal
agents |
October 2005 |
| More studies needed to define potential role of
antibiotic cycling |
September 2005 |
| Fluoroquinolones and QT prolongation research
continues |
August 2005:
Prolongation of the QT interval is associated with potentially
life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias such as torsades de pointes. |
| Hepatitis A and B rate falls as vaccination
efforts increase |
July 2005: While
there have been concerns about potential vaccine-related autoimmune diseases,
there are no scientific data to support these concerns. |
| Meningococcal vaccines important as rates
rise |
June 2005: The
highest rates of meningococcal disease are usually among young children. |
| Consider antibiotic line lock therapy for
treatment of catheter-related infections |
May 2005: Risk
factors for the development of infections include the type of catheter,
insertion site and presence of malignancy. |
| Fluoroquinolone alterations on glucose
homeostasis |
April 2005: The
exact mechanisms for fluoroquinolone-induced alterations in glucose homeostasis
are not fully known. |
| Drug-drug interactions complicate management of
HAART-associated dyslipidemia |
March 2005: Careful
assessment for cardiac risk factors is an important part of routine care for
people with HIV. |
| Telithromycin: new agent for community-acquired
RTIs |
February 2005:
Telithromycin has activity against H. influenzae and M.
catarrhalis similar to that of azithromycin, which is known to be the most
active macrolide against these pathogens. |
| Antimicrobial drug shortages |
January 2005: Having
a reasonable plan to address drug shortages as they arise is the most prudent
strategy. |
| Be aware of serotonin syndrome when giving
linezolid |
December 2004: If
the patient exhibits any of the symptoms of serotonin syndrome, linezolid
should be discontinued and alternative antibacterial therapy started. |
| Antiviral medications: a refresher for the
2004-2005 influenza seasons |
November 2004: This
season, the plan is to use amantadine and rimantadine for prophylaxis of
disease and reserve oseltamivir and zanamivir for treatment as supplies
allow. |
| Three new antimicrobials available for
diarrhea |
October 2004: All
three appear to have excellent safety and efficacy profiles. |
| Drug-drug interactions impacting antituberculous
therapy |
September 2004:
Patients with resistant disease require more complicated therapeutic
regimens containing an increasing number of drugs. |
| Electrolyte abnormalities associated with
antibacterial agents |
August 2004: Certain
antibacterial agents can affect potassium and sodium levels. |
| Drug-drug interactions can occur with
antiretroviral medications |
July 2004: This
article focuses on new interactions that have been identified or those that are
commonly encountered in clinical practice. |
| Immunosuppressant drug interactions with the
newer antifungals |
June 2004: Invasive
fungal infections are frequently observed in the transplant population,
carrying with them a substantial mortality rate. |
| Clinical implications of ß-lactam
allergies |
May 2004:
Beta-lactam agents are often needlessly withheld from patients due to vague
allergy histories. |
| New agents for gram-positive
infections |
April 2004: Three
new medications have been approved since 1999 that offer treatment options for
infections caused by certain resistant gram-positive pathogens. |
| Meeting the quality standards for influenza,
pneumococcal vaccination |
March 2004: Despite
the overwhelming impact of vaccines on preventing disease, there remains
opportunity for health care providers to increase vaccination rates, especially
in adults. |
| Advances in antifungal therapy: updates for the
clinician |
February 2004: An
increase in the number of immunocompromised patients has sparked an interest in
developing new antifungals. |
| Reviewing drug hypersensitivity and
cross-reactivity in ID treatment |
January 2004:
Penicillin allergies often require more investigation. |
| Newly approved drugs in 2003 |
December 2003:
Perhaps the most interesting newly approved agent for 2003 is
daptomycin. |
| Valacyclovir (Valtrex) Part 2: New
indication |
September 2003:
Valacyclovir is FDA-approved for one-day treatment of cold sores. |
| New evidence shows drug reduced transmission of
HSV-2 |
August 2003: Various
antivirals have been used in the treatment of HSV-2 including acyclovir,
valacyclovir and famciclovir. |
| New advances in the prevention of cervical cancer:
HPV type 16 vaccine |
February 2003:
Persistent human papillomavirus infection of the genital tract is well
known to be the precipitating factor for cervical cancer. |
| Managing and treating hepatitis C |
October 2002:
Treatment of chronic HCV may maintain hepatic health and slow progression
to end-stage liver disease |
| Using voriconazole in patients |
September 2002: The
triazole antifungal was cleared for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and
P. boydii and Fusarium spp. in patients intolerant or refractory
to other therapies. |
| Topical products used for the treatment of common
skin infections |
June 2002: This
month’s column discusses common bacterial skin infections and the proper
forms and dosages of treatment. |
| Antimicrobial dosing in continuous renal
replacement therapy |
May 2002: Continuous
renal replacement therapies (CRRT) are now routinely used to manage acute renal
failure. |
| Ciclopirox treats onychomycosis |
April 2002:
Treatment options for onychomycosis: Part 3 of a 3 part series. |
| Itraconazole and terbinafine: Focus on drug
interactions |
March 2002:
Treatment options for onychomycosis: Part 2 of a 3-part series |
| Treatment options for onychomycosis |
February 2002:
Itraconazole & terbinafine: Focus on adverse events. |
| Docosanol: OTC treatment for herpes
labialis |
January 2002:
Antiviral agents prevent viral replication through their competitive
inhibition of viral DNA polymerase. In contrast, docosanol appears to inhibit
replication by blocking viral entry into cells. |
| Ketolides: A novel class of antibiotics |
September 2001:
Increased binding to the bacterial ribosome allows telithromycin to
overcome many macrolide resistant pathogens that commonly cause
community-acquired infections. |
| Caspofungin: new treatment for invasive
aspergillosis |
June 2001: This medication
offers additional treatment for patients unable to tolerate the available
antifungals or who are refractory to conventional treatments. |
| Update on
the current treatment of acute sinusitis |
March 2001: Rational use of
antibiotics based on evidence-based guidelines is recommended to prevent
further increases in resistance and enhance treatment success. |
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