Bacterial infections

NICE publishes draft guidance on antibiotic prescribing for UTIs

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a set of draft guidelines to help healthcare professionals optimise antimicrobial prescribing for urinary tract infections and minimise antimicrobial resistance.…

Point-of-care C-reactive protein testing in community pharmacy to deliver appropriate interventions in respiratory tract infections

This pilot study sought to evaluate the potential use of point-of-care (POC) C-reactive protein (CRP) testing for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in a rural community pharmacy in North Staffordshire, UK, in conjunction with local GP practices. The study found that the use of POC CRP testing…

NICE publishes new guidance to help with diagnosing Lyme disease

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has published new guidance on diagnosing and treating Lyme disease.…

Syphilis: diagnosis and management options

In 2016, the number of diagnoses of syphilis in England rose by 12%. Pharmacists and healthcare professionals should be aware of the signs and symptoms, as well as the treatment options for this disease, and understand the role they can play in the wider promotion of good sexual health to patie…

Standardising the use of oral liquid medicines to treat tuberculosis in the UK

We are writing to highlight recent work carried out to improve the provision of anti-tuberculosis oral liquid medicines in the UK. Almost two-thirds of hospital pharmacy departments in the UK have reported problems accessing anti-tuberculosis treatments[1] . The fragility of th…

Vaping could increase risk of pneumonia, study finds

E-cigarette vapour may increase susceptibility to pneumonia-causing bacteria, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal has found.…

Diagnosis and management of hospital-acquired pneumonia in older adults

Hospital‑acquired pneumonia increases the length of in-patient hospital stay and is associated with high mortality rates, particularly in older people. Pharmacists and healthcare professionals need to know how to diagnose and manage the condition, and be cognisant of the gaps in …

WHO publishes first AMR surveillance report

The World Health Organization has published its first Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) report.…

Proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole might be effective against tuberculosis

Research published in PLoS Medicine recommends further exploration of the drug to test the findings.…

Researchers discover new way to identify antibiotics using cancer cells

Three of the compounds explored in the study inhibited cancer cell growth and also behaved as broad-spectrum antibiotics, with two effective against Staphylococcus aureus…