How does a patient maximally benefit from anti-infective chemotherapy?

“How should we treat older patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, A Review”

Nearly 50 % of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer, affect people over 70 years of age. Inclusion of older patients in clinical trials has been extremely rare. As a result, there is debate on how to manage these patients because it is still unclear how to balance the therapeutic advantages and toxicities. For patients who do not have comorbid conditions, with performance status (P.S.) 0–1, treatm...

Issues in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-infective agents: kill curves versus MIC.

Does antibiotic selection impact patient outcome?

Inadequate antibiotic therapy, generally defined as microbiologically ineffective anti-infective therapy against the causative pathogen, can influence patient outcome. However, the detrimental effects of inadequate antibiotic therapy seem to become weaker in the most severely ill patients with short life expectancies. In addition to severity of illness, other methodological issues should be car...

QuickScan Reviews in Hospital Medicine, May 30 2009

Background: There is a pathophysiologic rationale that anti-infective coated central venous catheters (CVCs) could reduce the rate of infection. Previous meta-analyses confirmed that they can reduce the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), but substantial new data are now available. Objective: To determine if anti-infective CVCs prevent CRBSI in hospitalized adults. Design: M...

ONCOLOGY NURSING SOCIETY WHITE PAPER Neutropenia: State of the Knowledge Part II

In Part I of this two-part white paper, the project team of the State of the Knowledge on Neutropenia Symposium summarized the available evidence regarding chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN), neutrophil physiology, chemotherapy dose intensity, approaches to risk assessment, national practice guidelines, and outcomes of neutropenia. The authors identifi ed what currently is known and, import...