How to Harness the Power of Social Media for Quality Drug Information in Infectious Diseases: Perspectives on Behalf of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

Clinicians, researchers, and the public frequently turn to digital channels and social media for up-to-the-minute information on novel therapeutics and vaccines. The value of credible infectious diseases drug information is more apparent in the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This viewpoint by the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) provides guidance on utilizing social media platforms to optimize infectious diseases pharmacotherapy. It includes tips for all levels of users but primarily serves a guide for the infectious diseases clinician who has not yet joined social media. It compares various social media platforms and suggests which to begin with based on user needs, recommends efficient curation of social media content, and outlines a stepwise approach (shown below) to increasing engagement over time. This summary will hopefully spur further quality content and engagement regarding drug information from the infectious diseases social media network.

Outcomes of Aminopenicillin Therapy for Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Urinary Tract Infections.

Vancomycin-resistant urinary tract infections are often challenging to treat. This retrospective cohort study compared outcomes between patients treated for vancomycin-resistant enterococcal urinary tract infection with an aminopenicillin and those treated with a non-ß-lactam antibiotic. Inpatients treated with an enterococcus-active agent for their first symptomatic vancomycin-resistant enterococcal urinary tract infection between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013 were considered for inclusion. Patients with colonization, on hospice, or receiving comfort care only were excluded. The primary endpoint of clinical cure was defined as resolution of clinical symptoms, or symptom improvement to the extent that no additional antibacterial drug therapy was necessary, and lack of microbiologic persistence. Secondary endpoints of 30-day readmission or retreatment and 30-day all-cause mortality were also compared. A total of 316 urinary isolates were screened, and 61 patients with symptomatic urinary tract infection were included. Twenty (35%) of the 57 isolates tested were ampicillin susceptible. Thirty-one patients received an aminopenicillin, and 30 received a non-ß-lactam. Rates of clinical cure for aminopenicillin versus non-ß-lactam treatment were 26/31 (83.9%) and 22/30 (73.3%) (P = 0.315), respectively. Rates of 30-day readmission (6/31, or 19.4%, versus 9/30, or 30%, respectively; P = 0.334), 30-day retreatment (4/31, or 12.9%, versus 4/30, 13.3%, respectively; P = 0.960), and 30-day all-cause mortality (2/31, or 6.5%, versus 1/30, or 3.3%, respectively; P = 0.573) were also not significantly different between groups. Aminopenicillins may be a viable option for treating vancomycin-resistant urinary tract infection regardless of the organism's ampicillin susceptibility. Prospective validation with larger cohorts of patients should be considered.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: an Update on Targeted Strategies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Overutilization of antimicrobials is a known contributor to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is a threat to global health. The goal of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) is to implement targeted interventions to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing and prevent development of antimicrobial resistance. We aim to review recently published literature focused on five categories of ASP interventions that have demonstrated success in optimizing appropriate antimicrobial use, improving patient outcomes, and fighting antimicrobial resistance. RECENT FINDINGS: In the past year, ASP interventions in the published literature have focused on minimizing duration of antimicrobial therapy for infectious syndromes, implementing novel methods for performing prospective audit and feedback, utilizing microbiology laboratory or rapid diagnostic tests to expedite diagnosis, leveraging clinical decision support and electronic medical record tools, and performing penicillin allergy assessment. While the majority of studies assessing ASP interventions do not assess changes in antimicrobial resistance, outcomes demonstrating improved appropriate antibiotic use have been used as a surrogate. Successful ASPs should seek to implement and evaluate novel interventions targeting improvement in antimicrobial prescribing. Such interventions are of critical importance to prevent further growth of antimicrobial resistance.