News | Antimicrobial resistance and stewardship

News

Delaying antibiotics is safe and effective in respiratory tract infection, analysis concludes

Researchers found no difference in symptom severity when comparing patients who received delayed antibiotics with those who received them immediately or not at all.…

Published: 24 May 2021

News

Progress in cutting hospital prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics set back by pandemic, says NHS clinical lead

Prescribing per hospital admission of certain broader-spectrum antibiotics increased by 3.6% between 2019 and 2020, owing to increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Published: 14 May 2021

Opinion

Bacterial co-infection is unusual in noncritical COVID-19 cases, so we must reduce our antibiotic prescribing

Antibiotics are rarely indicated for COVID-19, yet prescribing has been high during the pandemic. Antimicrobial resistance has not gone away, so we must not forget our stewardship principles.…

Published: 28 April 2021

News

Point-of-care testing improves detection and treatment of influenza in hospital

Patients randomised to molecular point-of-care testing were more likely to be correctly diagnosed.…

Published: 12 March 2021

Feature

Do long-term antibiotics for acne fuel antimicrobial resistance?

Some healthcare professionals believe that antibiotic use in young people with acne could be reduced with earlier, pharmacist-led interventions.…

Published: 25 February 2021

News

Macrolide antibiotics during pregnancy not associated with increased risk of major birth defects, study suggests

A cohort study found no significant association between use of macrolides during pregnancy and an increased risk of birth defects.…

Published: 24 February 2021

News

First antimicrobial drugs purchased via new ‘subscription’ payment model

The first antimicrobial drugs have been purchased via the UK’s new ‘subscription-type’ payment model.…

Published: 22 December 2020

News

Azithromycin has no benefit for patients with severe COVID-19, RECOVERY trial data suggest

The antibiotic azithromycin has no meaningful clinical benefit for patients who are hospitalised with severe COVID-19, a preliminary analysis of data from the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy trial has found.…

Published: 15 December 2020

News

NHS England to choose ‘selected’ number of pharmacies to deliver at least 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines per week

Pharmacies designated as COVID-19 vaccination sites by NHS England will need to administer “at least 1,000 vaccines each week” if they are to become part of the national vaccine delivery programme.…

Published: 30 November 2020

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