geoffrey modest medical blogs

  It is generally problematic finding studies comparing newer antibiotics to older antibiotics (or   studies including  pretty much any other types of  older  medications), given that studies are largely paid for by drug companies, and it could turn out that the old medications are as good as , or perhaps better than,  the new ones the drug companies are trying to promote. An analysis, based on older studies, found that doxycycline seems to be as efficacious as macrolides or fluoroquinolones in treating mild - to - moderate community acquired pneumonia (see   pneumonia CAP doxycycline helps CID2023  in dropbox, or doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac615)    Details :  -- a systematic review/meta-analysis of 6 randomized controlled trials with 834 patients performed between 1984 and 2004 that compared doxycycline to  3  macrolides (roxithromycin, spiramycin, and erythromycin) and  3  fluoroquinolones (ofloxacillin, fleroxacin...

  an effective and generalizable/scalable antibiotic stewardship program has been developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for decreasing antibiotic usage (see   antibiotic stewardship program jama2021  in dropbox, or doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0235).   Details: --437 hospitals enrolled in the program, with 402 (92%) remaining in the program for the full year     --28 academic medical center, 122 midlevel teaching hospitals, 167 community hospitals, and 85 critical access hospitals     -- 43% of the hospitals did not have access to infectious disease (ID) specialists --intervention: all clinical staff (clinicians, pharmacists, nurses) were encouraged to participate in 17 webinars over 12 months on antibiotic prescribing, along with some additional durable educational content (commitment posters, computer desktop backgrounds, pocket cards). topics of the webinars included antibiotic stewardship programs,...