Study Says Campaigns to Reduce Antibiotic Use in the U.S. Cant Compete with Drug Advertising
Regional public education campaigns in the United States to promote more appropriate use of antibiotics among outpatients are underfunded and seldom evaluated for effectiveness, concludes a study presented at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy held last month. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.
"The main problems in the U.S. are that the programs are not adequately funded or evaluated," said Benedikt Huttner, the study’s lead author. Many operate on $100,000 a year or less, which pays for little more than the salary of a program administrator. "There is very little money left over for the interventions themselves," Huttner added.
Reference: BMJ 2009;339:b3785
Endoscopes and Lumened Instruments: New Studies Highlight Persistent Contamination Risks
May 7th 2025Two new studies reveal troubling contamination in both new endoscopes and cleaned lumened surgical instruments, challenging the reliability of current reprocessing practices and manufacturer guidelines.
Happy Hand Hygiene Day! Rethinking Glove Use for Safer, Cleaner, and More Ethical Health Care
May 5th 2025Despite their protective role, gloves are often misused in health care settings—undermining hand hygiene, risking patient safety, and worsening environmental impact. Alexandra Peters, PhD, points out that this misuse deserves urgent attention, especially today, World Hand Hygiene Day.
