An evaluation of antibiotic prescription practices at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals suggests that more frequent collaboration between physicians and pharmacists, along with adherence to local antibiotic prescribing guidelines, could reduce antibiotic usage when discharging patients. The study was based on data procured from the Veterans Health Administration and examined the post-discharge oral antibiotic prescribing patterns at 123 VA hospitals between May 2020 and May 2021. Hospitals were sorted into high-performing, low-performing, and intermediate-performing groups based on their frequency and length of antibiotic prescriptions at discharge.
The findings revealed that out of 396,909 patient admissions across 123 hospitals, 17.2% received post-discharge antibiotics with a median duration of 6 days. High-performing hospitals were characterized by more frequent interaction and education on stewardship principles. Low performing hospitals did not exhibit these characteristics. The researchers further observed that hospitals that actively used local antibiotic prescribing guidelines and engaged in frequent interactions between their stewardship physician and pharmacist were associated with lower antibiotic usage.
Meanwhile, regions of Gaines County, Texas, and Lea County, New Mexico, are experiencing measles outbreaks. Gaines County has demonstrated an increase in cases from six to twenty-four within two weeks, all of whom are unvaccinated. Similarly, the first identified case of measles for 2025 in New Mexico was an unvaccinated teenager from Lea County. Health officials remain concerned about further outbreaks due to the highly infectious nature of measles. This situation underlines the importance of the International Vaccination Program.
Furthermore, the Pan American Health Organization reported 3,765 cases of Oropouche virus activity in the first four weeks of the year. The virus, which is spread via midge bites, has afflicted several South American countries and seen a concerning instance of maternal-fetal transmission with poor resulting outcomes. Epidemiological surveillance and preventive measures have been recommended to manage the ongoing outbreak.
In related news, the launch of the Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery Innovator (Gr-ADI) program aims to contribute to the discovery of new antibiotics to combat gram-negative bacteria. This initiative, jointly led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome, hopes to address the current lack of novel antibiotics and counteract the growing public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance.
Finally, chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurodegenerative disease primarily found in deer and elk, has dipped into eastern Nebraska with an increased case rate compared to previous years. Despite no recorded instances of CWD in humans, practicing precaution when handling carcasses has been recommended.