Digital PharmD

Informatics in Pharmacy

Infectious Disease

Agents and Monitoring

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Parenteral Antimicrobial Agent Common Adult Parenteral Doses Monitoring/Unusual Adverse Effects PK/PD Elimination T 1/2 Action Cidal/Static(may not be clinically relevant) Anti-staphylococcal Agents (*MRSA) Nafcillin 1 to 2 g every 4 to 6h Nafcillin is an inducer of the cytochrome P450 3A4, Periodic CBC, urinalysis, BUN, SCr, AST and ALT, can cause mild hypokalemia  T>MIC Billary […]

Sexually Transmitted Infections

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The CDC is the best place to check for updated STI guidelines and resistance patterns. Chlamydia: Doxycycline 100 mg orally 2 times/day for 7 days (preferred) Azithromycin 1g 1 time dose (can use in pregnancy) Levofloxacin 500 mg orally once daily for 7 days Alt in preg: Amoxicillin 500 mg orally 3 times/day for 7 days […]

Urinary Tract Infections

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Please note that this guide goes with current guidelines, but current guidelines don’t really meet practice. IDSA is due with new guidelines in 2024 and a preview was presented at IDweek in 2023/ECCMID 2024. It will change the definition of complicated UTIs to include pyelonephritis, catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI), UTI with fever or other evidence of […]

Pneumonia

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Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) October 2019 IDSA CAP Adult Guidelines / CHEST CAP in Immunocompromised Patients / IDSA CAP in Kids Guidelines CAP is defined as pneumonia with an onset outside of the hospital setting or < 48 hours after hospital admission. Mortality ranges from < 1% to 50% depending on severity of illness. It is […]

Endocarditis Guideline Review

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Causes: Bacterial infection is the most common cause of endocarditis, specifically viridans group strep, Staphylococcus aureus, HAECK group organisms (Haemophilus species, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella kingae), or Enterococcus. Endocarditis can also be caused by fungi, such as Candida. Some weird fastidious bacteria show up too, like Bartonella, Brucella, Coxiella burnetii (causes […]

Sinus Troubles: When Should I See My Doctor

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We’ve all had sinus troubles before and it’s sometimes hard to tell if it’s a bacterial infection, a virus, or allergies. Your physician probably even has a hard time. Here are some tips on when to see your physician, and when you should visit your local pharmacy for some home remedies. Viral Sinusitis If you’ve […]

COVID-19 mRNA EUA Vaccine FAQs

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There have been a lot of questions about the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. I thought I would put together an easy FAQ with some referenced answers. I’ll keep adding to it as I get more questions. I have a FAQ about the Johnson and Johnson vaccine too. Is it Going to Alter my DNA? If you […]

Clostridium/Clostridiodes Difficile

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Clostridiodes difficile is a pretty big problem, causing quite a bit of morbidity and mortality every year, and it’s becoming more and more common. It can be pretty tricky to treat. C. diff is an anaerobic, spore-forming rod and it makes a toxin that contributes to the severity of the disease. It causes diarrhea and […]

Sinusitis

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Sinusitis is usually viral.  Only use antibiotics if signs and symptoms are greater than 10 days or purulent discharge with a fever greater than 102 degrees. Viral is quick, usually lasting less than a week.  Bacterial often has double sickening and purulent discharge. Do not do imaging unless immunocompromised or orbital cranial involvement. Only symptomatic relief for […]