Bacterial infections

Excess dietary zinc increases susceptibility to C difficile

Researchers found that mice given a high-zinc diet were more likely to experience Clostridium difficile infection at lower antibiotic doses.…

Grampian pharmacists supply antibiotics for uncomplicated UTIs

Community pharmacists in Grampian have been given the go-ahead to supply antibiotics to women with an uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI).…

Global declaration to fight antimicrobial resistance

A declaration to tackle drug-resistant infections is due to be signed by 193 countries at the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September 2016.…

Antibiotic gel crosses eardrum to treat middle ear infections

A one-dose application of an antibiotic gel into the ear could make it easier to treat middle ear infections in children, say US researchers.…

Syphilis and the use of mercury

Sexual Health Week 2016 runs from 12-18 September. Szu Shen Wong, Thibaut Deviese, Jane Draycott, John Betts and Matthew Johnston describe what lies behind a print depicting patients with syphilis from the 18th century.…

Principles of initiating antimicrobial therapy and empiric prescribing

Healthcare professionals should be aware of the principles of antimicrobial treatment and the need to reduce inappropriate prescribing to retain the effectiveness of drugs currently available.…

Cut off age for meningitis B vaccine will not change, committee says

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises UK health departments on immunisation, has recommended that the meningitis B vaccine should not be extended to all UK children under the age of two. The vaccine was introduced in September 2015 for babies aged up to 12 m…

Antibiotics should be prescribed during idelalisib treatment, concludes review

All patients given the cancer drug idelalisib (marketed as Zydelig) should be prescribed antibiotics during treatment and for two to six months after treatment has ended to prevent pneumonia, according to a new Europe-wide proposal.…

Data back up drive to cut antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections

A large reduction in antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections only results in a small number of complications, such as pneumonia, new research suggests, a finding that the authors say is “reassuring”.…

Enhance your knowledge of infectious disease management

‘The pharmacist’s guide to antimicrobial therapy and stewardship’, by Sarah M Wieczorkiewicz and Carrie A Sincak. …