Educating Patients on Unnecessary Antibiotics: Personalizing Potential Harm Aids Patient Understanding

[Let us be cautious and prevent unnecessary patient harm].

Unnecessary use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in hospitalized patients

BACKGROUND Fluoroquinolones are among the most commonly prescribed antimicrobials and are an important risk factor for colonization and infection with fluoroquinolone-resistant gram-negative bacilli and for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). In this study, our aim was to determine current patterns of inappropriate fluoroquinolone prescribing among hospitalized patients, and to test the hypo...

Unnecessary Antibiotics for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections: Association With Care Setting and Patient Demographics

Background.  Up to 40% of antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). We sought to define factors associated with antibiotic overprescribing of ARTIs to inform efforts to improve practice. Methods.  We conducted a retrospective analysis of ARTI visits between 2006 and 2010 from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Amb...

Understanding diabetes in patients with HIV/AIDS

This paper reviews the incidence, pathogenetic mechanisms and management strategies of diabetes mellitus in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It classifies patients based on the aetiopathogenetic mechanisms, and proposes rational methods of management of the condition, based on aetiopathogenesis and concomitant pharmacotherapy.

Educating the Patient with Diabetes

Keypoints • Diabetes education is an important cornerstone of diabetes care, and supports the philosophy of the chronic disease model. • Diabetes education improves clinical outcomes, and requires periodic follow up. • Time spent with a diabetes educator is the best predictor for improvement in diabetes outcomes. • Patients and physicians agree that diabetes education is a necessary part of car...