emDocs - November 18, 2016 - Authors: Fontes K and Liu O
Edited by: Koyfman A and Long B
"Takeaways…
- For patients concurrently taking warfarin, ACE inhibitors / ARBs, NSAIDs, or sulfonylureas, avoid use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), if possible.
- Consider obtaining a serum procalcitonin level as part of your medical decision making for starting antibiotic therapy (may be more useful for respiratory and urinary tract infections).
- Consider using shared decision making or implementing patient/parent educational interventions to enhance judicious antibiotic use.
- Use antibiograms with caution; they may underestimate antimicrobial susceptibility specific to ED patients, in particular those with uncomplicated infections.
- Harness the power of (and thank on a regular basis) your ED clinical pharmacists!"