Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Sniffling Leads to Sneaking a Dose of Leftover Antibiotics

Individuals are obtaining antibiotics that were not prescribed for them from a variety of sources—including other countries, the internet, friends, relatives, or from previous prescriptions—and using them to self-treat their cold and flu symptoms, according to a press release from the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Convenience, past treatment experiences, and the hassle of navigating the healthcare system are among the reasons patients said they take the “nonprescription” antibiotics. The study was presented by the Baylor College …

Differentiating Acute Conjunctivitis Presentations in Children

Urgent message: Make the distinction between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis to ensure children receive appropriate treatment and to avoid the negative consequences of antibiotic overuse. Julian P. Ponsetto MD, Momoko K. Ponsetto MD Download the article PDF Here Citation: Ponsetto JP, Ponsetto MK. Differentiating acute conjunctivitis presentations in children. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;17(11):15-20. Infectious conjunctivitis or “pink eye” is common in the pediatric population, accounting for 2.7% of diagnoses in pediatric urgent care.1 However, …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – October 2023

Which Sample is More Accurate for STIs: Vaginal or Urine? Take Home Point: Vaginal swabs are the optimal sample type for women being evaluated for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and/or trichomoniasis. Citation: Aaron K, Griner S, Footman A, et. al. Vaginal Swab vs Urine for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis: A Meta-Analysis Ann Fam Med. 2023 Mar-Apr;21(2):172-179. doi: 10.1370/afm.2942 Relevance: Many sexually transmitted infections (STI) are asymptomatic in women and can have serious …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – September 2023

How Long Should We Prescribe Antibiotics for Pediatric UTI? Take-Home Point: Children receiving 5 days of antibiotics for urinary tract infection (UTI) had a higher rate of treatment failure that children receiving 10-day courses. However, absolute treatment failure rates were low in both groups. Citation: Zaoutis T, Shaikh N, Fisher B, et. al. Short-Course Therapy for Urinary Tract Infections in Children: The SCOUT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Jun 26; e231979. Relevance: There have …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – February 2023

Ivan Koay MBChB, MRCS, FRNZCUC, MD Quinolone Eardrops and Achilles Tendon-Related Outcomes Take-home point: Quinolone eardrops were associated with an increased risk of all-type tendon rupture, including Achilles tendon (AT), but not AT tendinitis. Citation: Tran P, Antonelli P and Winterstein A. Quinolone ear drops and Achilles tendon rupture. Clin Infect Dis. 2022; ciac709. Epub ahead of print September 6, 2022. Relevance: Systemic quinolones have been known to increase the risk of tendon rupture. Prior …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – June 2022

Maximizing the Value of Urine Dipstick Testing Screening for Intimate Partner Violence Antibiotics for Children with RTI Azithromycin in Pediatric Viral Infection Self-Monitoring BP with Unvalidated Devices Modified Valsalva Maneuver in SVT To Mix or Not to Mix COVID-19 Vaccines? Ivan Koay, MBChB, FRNZCUC, MD Nitrofurantoin Resistance Take-home point: Proteeae group bacteria, which are often resistant to nitrofurantoin, normally result in alkaline (ie, high pH) urine on dipstick testing. Citation: Sheele J, Libertin C, Fink …

UCA Renews Campaign to Boost Antibiotics Best Practices

The Urgent Care Association, long a proponent of sound antibiotic stewardship as a safeguard against drug-resistant bacteria, is working with the George Washington University Antibiotic Resistance Center on an initiative to improve antibiotic prescribing practices. One key element, through the College of Urgent Care Medicine, is an antibiotic stewardship toolkit based on the Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. UCA also just took part in—and sponsored—a …

CDC: Antibiotics Are Still Being Overprescribed for Respiratory Infections—Including Flu

Far too many prescriptions are being written for patients with acute respiratory infections, including influenza, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as 41% of antibiotic prescriptions for ARIs were deemed “inappropriate” by the CDC. In addition, despite published guidelines, vigorous public awareness campaigns, and missives to prescribers, nearly 30% of patients who tested positive for viral flu infection were prescribed antibiotics. The data, published in JAMA …

Antibiotics Week: A Chance to Attract—and Protect—New Patients

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House are working together to foster more responsible use of antibiotics in all healthcare settings by promoting Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, November 14–20. The CDC estimates 2 million Americans become infected with an antibiotic-resistant germ every year, meaning illness that could previously have been treated with a standard antibiotic may land your patients in the hospital (or worse; 23,000 patients die every year from …

Productive Cough and Chills in an Adult

A 37-year-old woman without a significant past medical history presents after 3 days of a cough that produces yellow sputum with some streaks of blood. She has not checked her temperature but says she has “felt warm” and has some chills. She does have associated shortness of breath, but she reports that she has not had chest pain, leg pain or swelling, sweating, or headache. She has a history of hypertension, and she takes an …

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