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The methodological quality of guidelines for hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia: A systematic review

Ambaras Khan R, Aziz Z

J Clin Pharm Ther, 2018 Aug;43(4):450-459.
PMID: 29722052 DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.12696

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES: Clinical practice guidelines serve as a framework for physicians to make decisions and to support best practice for optimizing patient care. However, if the guidelines do not address all the important components of optimal care sufficiently, the quality and validity of the guidelines can be reduced. The objectives of this study were to systematically review current guidelines for hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), evaluate their methodological quality and highlight the similarities and differences in their recommendations for empirical antibiotic and antibiotic de-escalation strategies.
METHODS: This review is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to September 2017 for relevant guidelines. Other databases such as NICE, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the websites of professional societies were also searched for relevant guidelines. The quality and reporting of included guidelines were assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) instrument.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Six guidelines were eligible for inclusion in our review. Among 6 domains of AGREE-II, "clarity of presentation" scored the highest (80.6%), whereas "applicability" scored the lowest (11.8%). All the guidelines supported the antibiotic de-escalation strategy, whereas the majority of the guidelines (5 of 6) recommended that empirical antibiotic therapy should be implemented in accordance with local microbiological data. All the guidelines suggested that for early-onset HAP/VAP, therapy should start with a narrow spectrum empirical antibiotic such as penicillin or cephalosporins, whereas for late-onset HAP/VAP, the guidelines recommended the use of a broader spectrum empirical antibiotic such as the penicillin extended spectrum carbapenems and glycopeptides.
WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: Expert guidelines promote the judicious use of antibiotics and prevent antibiotic overuse. The quality and validity of available HAP/VAP guidelines would be enhanced by improving their adherence to accepted best practice for the management of HAP and VAP.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/standards*
Fulltext Quality of benzathine penicillin G: A multinational cross-sectional study

Hand RM, Senarathna SMDKG, Page-Sharp M, Gray K, Sika-Paotonu D, Sheel M, et al.

Pharmacol Res Perspect, 2020 12;8(6):e00668.
PMID: 33090729 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.668

Benzathine penicillin G (BPG) is used as first-line treatment for most forms of syphilis and as secondary prophylaxis against rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Perceptions that poor quality of BPG is linked to reported adverse effects and therapeutic failure may impact syphilis and RHD control programs. Clinical networks and web-based advertising were used to obtain vials of BPG from a wide range of countries. The quality of BPG was assessed using a high performance liquid chromatography assay capable of detecting relevant impurities and degradation products. Tests for water content, presence of heavy metals and physical characteristics of BPG, including particle size analysis and optical microscopy, also were conducted. Thirty-five batches of BPG were sourced from 16 countries across 4 WHO regions. All batches passed the US Pharmacopeia requirements for BPG injection (content), with no evidence of breakdown products or other detected contaminants. Water content and heavy metal analysis (n = 11) indicated adherence to regulatory standards and Good Manufacturing Practice. Particle size analysis (n = 20) found two batches with aggregated particles (>400 µm) that were dispersed following sonication. Current batches of BPG were of satisfactory pharmaceutical quality but aggregated particles were found in a modest proportion of samples. Future studies should focus on the physical characteristics of BPG which may contribute to variations in plasma penicillin concentrations an observed needle blockages in clinical practice. Pharmacopeial monographs could be revised to include standards on particle size and crystal morphology of BPG.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/standards*
Evaluation of the efficacy of antibacterial medical gloves in the ICU setting

Kahar Bador M, Rai V, Yusof MY, Kwong WK, Assadian O

J Hosp Infect, 2015 Jul;90(3):248-52.
PMID: 25982193 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2015.03.009

Inappropriate use of medical gloves may support microbial transmission. New strategies could increase the safety of medical gloves without the risk of patient and surface contamination.

Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/standards

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