Subcutaneous ertapenem delivered by an Australian outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy service: a retrospective comparative efficacy study.

Subcutaneous (SC) administration of ertapenem in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services may be a practical alternative to intravenous delivery for complicated infections. The clinical features and outcomes according to route of administration were compared from a large Australian OPAT service. Chronic renal impairment was more common in the SC group, reflecting an opportunity for route of administration as a vein preservation strategy. Adverse events were uncommon and successful outcomes were not different between the groups.

Is TCC-EZ a Suitable Alternative to Gold Standard Total-Contact Casting?

BACKGROUND: The total-contact cast (TCC) is the gold standard for off-loading diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) given its nonremovable nature. However, this modality remains underused in clinical settings due to the time and experience required for appropriate application. The TCC-EZ is an alternative off-loading modality marketed as being nonremovable and having faster and easier application. This study aims to investigate the potential of the TCC-EZ to reduce foot plantar pressures. METHODS: Twelve healthy participants (six males, six females) were fitted with a removable cast walker, TCC, TCC-EZ, and TCC-EZ with accompanying brace removed. These off-loading modalities were tested against a control. Pedar-X technology measured peak plantar pressures in each condition. Statistical analysis of four regions of the foot (rearfoot, midfoot, forefoot, and hallux) was conducted with Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS: All of the off-loading conditions significantly reduced pressure compared with the control, except the TCC-EZ without the brace in the hallux region. There was no statistically significant difference between TCC-EZ and TCC peak pressure in any foot region. The TCC-EZ without the brace obtained significantly higher peak pressures than with the brace. The removable cast walker produced similar peak pressure reduction in the midfoot and forefoot but significantly higher peak pressures in the rearfoot and hallux. CONCLUSIONS: The TCC-EZ is a viable alternative to the TCC. However, removal of the TCC-EZ brace results in minimal plantar pressure reduction, which might limit clinical applications of the TCC-EZ.