Antimicrobial Stewardship

Cefazolin reduced surgical site infections compared with second-line antibiotics among patients with a beta-lactam allergy who had total joint arthroplasty, with no increase in hypersensitivity reactions, researchers determined.

A network-based model demonstrated that men who have sex with men drive the Neisseria gonorrhoeae epidemic and that intensive screening in the low-risk population had little impact on decreasing transmission rates.

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy programs are common for conditions that traditionally require weeks or months of parenteral treatment.

SEATTLE — Over the course of more than 5 years, antibiotic supply chain issues have not improved, potentially impacting patient treatment and stewardship, according to a study.

SEATTLE — In this video, Infectious Disease News Editorial Board Member Keith S. Kaye, MD, MPH, talks about antimicrobial stewardship as a place to develop leadership skills.

A large study conducted at more than 800 hospitals found that antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines were not followed in more than two-fifths of inpatient elective surgeries.

Outpatient antibiotic prescribing fell more than 25% in 2020 compared with earlier years across all ages, but researchers found most of the prescribing was among adults, according to a study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Financial incentive did not improve uptake of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy among physicians, though uptake was already high before introduction of the incentive, suggesting that there was little room for improvement to start.

Blood culture contamination was significantly reduced when phlebotomists used an initial specimen diversion device on patients vs. the use of traditional venipuncture, according to a recent study.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — An antimicrobial stewardship initiative involving more than 130 U.S. hospitals has shown promise — particularly when it comes to treating children for an appropriate duration, researchers reported here.