CD WORKSHOPS Flashcards
use the traffic light system to triage this case:
A 2 year old child is brought to the pharmacy by a concerned grandparent. The child has had a temperature of 38.5°C for the last 24 hours. The grandparent is worried because the child has an unusual high-pitched cry, seems very drowsy, and cannot stay awake for more than a few minutes. He is breathing rapidly and has recently vomited
red → high risk of illness
The child’s high-pitched cry and extreme drowsiness are indications of a high risk of serious illness
Pyrexia / Pyrexic
(what do both of these mean?)
- pyrexia = a raised body temperature; fever
- pyrexic = feverish
what are 3 of the most common antibiotic resistant infections?
- methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureas (MRSA) (commonly known as the hospital “superbug”)
- extended specturm beta-lactamases (ESBL-E)
- vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE)
Who are the most at risk of illness due to resistant bacteria?
- hospital patients who are elderly or very sick
- hospital patients who have an open wound (bedsore) or a tube going into their body (like a urinary catheter or on dialysis)
- people undergoing treatment for cancer
- organ transplant patients
- women needing Caeserean-sections during childbirths
antibiotic stewardship meaning
- ‘stewardship’ describes the careful and responsible management of something entrusted in one’s care.
- For antibiotics, this means appropriate use to improve patient outcomes while minimising the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
- Antibiotic stewardship uses processes designed to measure use of antibiotic and optimise appropriate practices.
what do global/international level AMR programmes focus on?
how new antibiotics are introduced to the market, labelled, priced and distributed
what do national level AMR programmes focus on?
legislation, regulation & national treatment guidelines
what do hospital level AMR programmes focus on?
optimizing the use of antibiotics for patients in hospitals
what do community level AMR programmes focus on?
- fostering access & appropriate use in primary health care settings & in animal health through awareness raising and targeted interventions
what are the five strategic objectives for tackling AMR for the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance (WHO)
- Increase global awareness and understanding about AMR
- Use surveillance and research to strengthen knowledge on AMR
- Reduce the incidence of infections through hygiene, sanitation and other infection preventative measures
- Optimise the use of antimicrobial agents- targeted use
- Increase investments in countering AMR - new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines
what are the 5 key objections of New Zealands antimicrobial resistance action plan?
- awareness & understanding
- surveillance & research
- infection prevention & control
- antimicrobial stewardship
- governance, collaberation & investment
steps that can be taken by individuals to reduce the impact and limit AMR
- Only use antibiotics when prescribed and follow instructions on how to take them by your health care professional.
- Do not insist on antibiotics if your HCP says you do not need them and never share or use leftover antibiotics.
- Take any unused antibiotics back to your pharmacy so they are disposed of safely and don’t enter the environment.
- Prevent infections by regular hand washing, practising food hygiene, avoid close contact with sick people, practising safer sex, and keeping vaccinations up to date.
steps that can be taken by policy makers to reduce the impact and limit AMR
- Ensure a robust national action plan to tackle AMR
- Improve surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections
- Implement infection prevention and control measures
- Regulate and promote appropriate use and disposal of quality medicines
- Make information available on the impact of AMR
steps that can be taken by healthcare professions (HCP) to reduce the impact and limit AMR
- Prevent infections by ensuring hands, instruments, and environment are clean.
- Only prescribe and dispense antibiotics when they are needed, according to current guidelines
- Report antibiotic-resistant infections to surveillance teams.
- Talk to your patients about how to take antibiotics correctly, AMR and the dangers of misuse
- Talk to your patients about preventing infections (vaccination, hand washing, safer sex and covering nose and mouth when sneezing)
steps that can be taken by the healthcare industry to reduce the impact and limit AMR
- invest in research and development of new antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics & other tools
to reduce AMR - primary healthcare professionals should only prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections if…
- symptoms are significant and sever
- there is a high risk of complications
- the infection is not resolving or is unlikely to resolve
antibiotic-resitsance bacteria can spread to humans through:
- contact with a person who has an antibiotic-resistant infection
- contact with something that has been touched by a person who has an antibiotic-resistance infections (e.g. health workers hands or instruments in a hospital with poor hygiene)
- contact with a live animal, food or water carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria
what is cellulitis?
an acute infection of skin involving deep dermis and subcutaneous fat