Best predictor of efficacy of vancomycin is time above the antimicrobial MIC1
There are so many more high-yield pearls for infectious disease, but these in my humble
opinion are practice changing, cost saving, and also affect patient outcomes.
References:
1. Ackerman BH et al. Necessity of a Loading Dose When Using Vancomycin in Critically
Ill Patients. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 1992; 29 (4): 460 – 1. PMID:
1607335
2. Bartlett JG et al. Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea. NEJM 2002 346: 334 – 339. PMID:
11821511
3. Fowler VG et al. Outcome of Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia According to
Compliance With Recommendations of Infectious Diseases Specialists: Experience
With 244 Patients. Clin Infect Dis 1998 Sep; 27 (3): 478 – 86. PMID: 9770144
4. Grace CJ et al. Usefulness of Blood Culture for Hospitalized Patients who are
Receiving Antibiotic Therapy. Clin Infect Dis 2001 Jun; 32 (11): 1651 – 5. PMID:
11340541
5. Gupta et al. International Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute
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6. Hollenbach E. To Treat or Not to Treat – Critically Ill Patients with Candiduria. Mycoses
2008 Sep. 51; (2) 12 – 24. PMID: 18721329
7. Kelly CP et al. Clostridium difficile – More Difficult than Ever. NEJM 2008 Oct; 359 (18):
1932 -40. PMID: 18971494
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8. Kim AI et al. Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia: Using Echocardiography to Guide
Length of Therapy. Cleve Clin J Med 2003 Jun; 70 (6): 517, 520 -1, 525 -6. PMID:
12828223
9. Nguyen MH et al. Therapeutic Approaches in Patients with Candidemia. Evaluation in
a Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Study. Arch Intern Med 1995; 155 (22): 24 –
29. PMID: 7503601
10. Pappas PG et al. Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Candidiasis: 2009
Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2009 Mar; 48 (5)
503 – 35. PMID: 19191635.
11. Pien BC et al. The Clinical and Prognostic Importance of Positive Blood Cultures in
Adults. Am J Med 2010 Sep; 123 (9): 819 – 28. PMID: 20800151
12. Sharpe JN et al. Clinical And Economic Outcomes of Oral Linezolid Versus Intravenous
Vancomycin in the Treatment of MRSA-complicated, Lower-Extremity Skin and Soft-
Tissue Infections caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Am J Surg
2005 Apr; 189 (4): 425 – 8. PMID: 15820454
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