Antibiotic Failure Common for Outpatient Community-Acquired Pneumonia
A new review of the effectiveness of antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia suggests the need for an update to current treatment guidelines, according to the authors. How likely are patients to need an additional prescription or to end up in the emergency department or hospital?
Triple Therapy More Cost-Effective Than Biologics for Second-Line RA Treatment Not many rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are put on so-called triple therapy when their initial methotrexate treatment begins to wane in effectiveness. A recent study suggests they should be, demonstrating that the combination, as a second-line treatment to a biologic is comparable in effectiveness. Here are the details.
Dentists Are Following New Antibiotic Guidelines for Cardiac Patients Pharmacists are filling fewer prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions for dental patients with cardiac conditions—and a new study suggests that is a good thing. Mayo Clinic researchers reviewed dental records in an area of the Midwest to determine that dentists and dental surgeons are closely following revised guidelines on which patients actually need the drugs. Here is more information.
Chondroitin Sulfate Comparable to Prescription for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain
A study finding that a readily available supplement works about as well as an anti-inflammatory medication for knee osteoarthritis pain has an important proviso: The chondroitin sulfate must be high-quality pharmaceutical grade. In that situation, how well did it work?
