With a Geriatric audience, had to take the opportunity to focus first on the urine.
But also get into SSTI, Bactrim for Group A strep, if you need IV antibiotics for Lyme, dental prophylaxis for prosthetic joints, and duration of therapy.
First up - does +UA/UCx=UTI?
2/
Emphatic NO on that one.
Need SYMPTOMS to diagnose a UTI.
I tell patients they need to tell us, we can't tell them.
Positive UCx without symptoms = asymptomatic bacteriuria.
3/
Asymptomatic bacteriuria is super common - up to 50% of women in nursing homes will have a positive urine culture on any given day.
When should we screen for ASB and treat it?
➡️ Pregnancy
➡️ Urologic procedures
That's about it. Doesn't help and may harm in everyone else.
4/
It's cloudy and stinks.
UTI, right?
5/
Nope.
Lots of things can change the appearance and smell of the urine.
The thought of asparagus night at the nursing home gives this steward nightmares.
@TomWalshMD13 always says if the urine stinks, stop smelling it!
6/
Here's a big one and one we see every day with stewardship.
Is altered mental status an indicator or UTI?
7/
NO!
Lots of things cause altered mental status.
There are some criteria that you can use if patients can't give a history. Best approach in a stable patient is hold antibiotics and look for other things (left side of algorithm here).
8/
Love this quote.
Don't be complacent.
9/
Better safe than sorry? Just give the antibiotic?
We do a lot of harm with unnecessary antibiotics. They are not benign.
10/
"OK, I know you said only pregnancy and urologic procedures, but what about before joint replacement?"
11/
Nope. Really, only urologic procedures. No other surgeries.
Screening urine cultures don't change the risk for prosthetic joint infection or risk of post-op UTI.
12/
Ok, some people truly do have a UTI.
First line empiric therapy for us, and in most places: Nitrofurantoin.
We use cephalexin first line if can't use Nitrofurantoin.
Rates of resistance to FQs and TMP-SMX too high, and tons of adverse effects with FQs.
13/
Last urine topic - should we use antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent UTIs in older adults?
14/
First, make sure it's truly recurrent UTI.
If it is, although there is a meta-analysis that may suggest benefit, was short follow up, had bias, and lots of resistance was seen.
Great work here from @BRxAD showing risks may outweigh benefits.
I don't recommend it.
15/
What can you do instead?
Consider non-antibiotic prophylaxis like topical estrogens or methenamine hippurate. Decent evidence for both.
16/
Ok, moving on from the urine.
Many of us were taught that Bactrim doesn't work for Group A strep.
Was that right?
17/
First, quick overview of uncomplicated SSTIs.
Purulent
➡️ Usually MRSA/MSSA
➡️ I&D and culture
➡️ Bactrim
(RCTs on slide did longer, but I usually do 5 days after I&D)
18/
Non-purulent
➡️ Usually beta-hemolytic strep
➡️ Cefadroxil (BID dosing easier than TID/QID of cephalexin)
Note dosing w/ ⬆️weight. Most failures I see were underdosed.
Pro tip: Look in between the toes. Bacteria have to get in somewhere. Treat tinea pedis if you find it.
19/
Ok, so does Bactrim cover Group A strep?
Yep, yep it does. Interesting why we thought it didn't.
@AshaBowen has done more than anyone to bust this myth.
20/
Clinical data supports it as well.
There is some Bactrim resistance in India, but fine in US, Europe, Australia.
Ok, moving on. Do I need to send that Lyme meningitis patient home with IV Ceftriaxone?
23/
First, quick overview of some of the forms.
Most common EM rash I see is a red circle, don't always have central clearing.
Just treat EM, don't test. New RCT evidence for 7 days doxy. #ShorterIsBetter
Bell's palsy in Western PA in the summer? Lyme until proven otherwise.
24/
We have solid evidence that PO doxycycline = IV Ceftriaxone for neurologic Lyme. No one needs to go home with a PICC.
In fact, guidelines support PO antibiotics for pretty much any form of Lyme disease. Don't let the "Lyme literate" folks convince your patients otherwise.
25/
Not enough tick talk for you?
Check out this talk from @matthewmof31 earlier this year.