Anti-infective agents

Antibiotics for back pain — a viable treatment option or pathway to antimicrobial resistance?

In 2013, research findings suggested that antibiotics could treat chronic back pain, but these claims were disputed in the scientific community. Now companies are offering this treatment privately. Here, we investigate the contentious world of back pain treatment.…

‘Cocktail’ of medicines in waterways could pose new AMR threat

Research has revealed that medicines combined with ciprofloxacin are more likely to increase antibiotic-resistant genes compared with exposure to antibiotics alone.…

Urinary tract infection in children: diagnosis and management

An overview of the diagnosis and empirical management of urinary tract infections in children.…

More than 20% of adults think UTIs can be prevented with precautionary antibiotics

A survey commissioned by the European Association of Urology also revealed that nearly 20% of UK adults believed that antibiotics are always needed for urinary tract infections.…

Dialling back antibiotic prescribing in children

There has been a jump in antibiotics use in children aged under ten years in England since the COVID-19 pandemic, but pharmacists and other healthcare professionals are trying to stem the rise.…

MHRA approves first new UTI antibiotic in 30 years

Gepotidacin (Blujepa; GSK) is approved for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs in patients aged 12 years and over, who weigh at least 40kg.…

Urinary tract infection in adults: diagnosis, management and prevention

This article covers the optimisation of patient outcomes through prompt diagnosis of, and appropriate antibiotic prescribing for, urinary tract infections.…

At-home oral antibiotics safe for newborns

The results of the six-month pilot showed that offering oral antibiotics to clinically stable, term babies could free up resources, positively impact families and lower environmental impact.…

‘World-first’ gonorrhoea vaccine programme begins in England

The gonorrhoea vaccine will be made available in sexual health clinics alongside existing jabs for mpox, hepatitis A and B and HPV.…

TB medicines shortage to last until end of 2025

A national patient safety alert has asked hospital procurement teams to review current stocks and work towards accessing licensed and unlicensed supplies, where available.…