News | Antimicrobial resistance and stewardship

News

IV antibiotics no more effective than oral for eradicating infection in cystic fibrosis patients, study suggests

Intravenous antibiotics are not superior to oral antibiotics for eradicating Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients, according to a randomised controlled trial in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.…

Published: 26 November 2020

News

Cefiderocol effective for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections

The clinical and microbiological outcomes of cefiderocol, a new antibiotic, were similar to the best available therapy for patients with life-threatening carbapenem-resistant infections, a phase III study has suggested.…

Published: 5 November 2020

News

Welsh pharmacy sore throat test and treat service ‘should not be routinely adopted’, review finds

The use of rapid antigen detection tests in community pharmacies for the diagnosis and management of people with group A streptococcal infections should not be routinely adopted, according to guidance from Health Technology Wales.…

Published: 2 November 2020

News

Antivirals have little effect on mortality in patients hospitalised with COVID-19, suggest WHO trial interim results

Four repurposed antiviral treatments for COVID-19 have little or no effect on mortality in patients who are hospitalised, interim results from the World Health Organization’s Solidarity trial have suggested.…

Published: 19 October 2020

Feature

Stuck in the 1950s: why UTI diagnosis badly needs an update

Urinary tract infections are the second most common reason for prescribing an antibiotic and, with antimicrobial stewardship a priority for the government, the stakes for accurate diagnosis are being raised ever higher.…

Published: 15 October 2020

News

EMA to investigate possible link between remdesivir and acute kidney injury

The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee is to review reports of acute kidney injury in some patients being given remdesivir for COVID-19.…

Published: 5 October 2020

News

Honey effective at relieving URTI symptoms, analysis concludes

Honey is superior to usual care for improving symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, researchers have concluded.…

Published: 1 October 2020

News

Government tightens availability of remdesivir treatment for COVID-19 patients as supplies shrink

Patients with COVID-19 across the UK will now have to meet additional criteria before being prescribed remdesivir as supplies of the drug become limited.…

Published: 30 September 2020

News

Clinical guidelines recommend dipstick tests for lower UTI diagnosis alongside two or more symptoms

Accurate diagnosis of a lower urinary tract infection in women aged under 65 years should be based on a positive dipstick test result for nitrite, alongside two or more urinary symptoms, new guidelines from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network say.…

Published: 28 September 2020

Opinion

Would my son have his Lyme disease diagnosis without my mother’s instinct? It’s time we trusted our patients

Pharmacist Arlene Brailey continues to fight for better testing and diagnosis of Lyme disease, after a tick bite left her son chronically ill.…

Published: 28 September 2020