Program Description:

Bacterial resistance to available antibiotics is of great concern and is an increasing challenge for physicians caring for hospitalized patients with serious infections.

Infections caused by resistant gram-negative bacteria are becoming increasingly prevalent and now constitute a serious threat to public health worldwide because they are difficult to treat and are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Further, treating infections of either pan-resistant or nearly pan-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms is an increasingly common challenge in many hospitals.

With increasingly limited treatment options and resistance on the rise, it is more important than ever to optimize the use of antibiotics in order to help improve patient outcomes, but also to understand the value of and preserve the life-saving potential of these agents.

This continuing education activity will address concepts that clinicians need to consider in order to optimize antibiotic treatment and improve outcomes in patients experiencing infections from multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

Target Audience:

This continuing medical education offering is intended to meet the needs of infectious disease specialists, critical care/pulmonologists, surgeons, pharmacists, and other members of the health care practitioner team including infection control and microbiologists who have an interest in the management of Gram-negative infections.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this knowledge activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the scope, prevalence and clinical impact of resistant Gram-negative pathogens.
• Explain the value of antibiotics and how to use various antibiotic stewardship and clinical strategies to help prevent Gram-negative infections.
• Identify the clinical impact of resistant Gram-negative bacteria on different infection and patient types in order to optimize stewardship and treatment strategies.
• Review currently available and pipeline treatment options for Gram-negative infections and how each of their profiles may help direct the selection of optimal antibiotic therapy in clinical practice.

Acceditation Statement:

MedEDirect is a Jointly Accredited Provider, accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

 

Credit Designation:

MedEDirect designates this on demand educational activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, 2.0 ANCC credits, or 2.0 CPE credits (UAN #0498-0000-16-006-H01-P).

Activity Participation and Obtaining Credit:

There are no fees for participating in and receiving credit for this activity. Your ASM Microbe 2016 badge is required for admittance. Participants must participate in the session and complete a post test and activity evaluation form. The post test and evaluation form must be completed by July 5, 2017 to be eligible for credit. Pharmacists are required to pass the post test with a score of 70%.

Physicians & nurses: Download a PDF of your certificate at the conclusion of the post test and program evaluation.

Pharmacists: Credit statements are submitted directly to CPE Monitor.**
Please allow 5-7 business days for credits to post to your profile.
**Pharmacists must ensure they have correctly provided their NABP number and birthday

 

Competencies:

Competencies

MedEDirect supports recommendations that will promote life long learning through continuing education. The following desirable physician attributes are addressed through this activity:

• Provide patient-centered care
• Work in interdisciplinary teams
• Employ evidence-based practice
• Apply quality improvement

Required Hardware/Software:

The computer you plan to use should meet the following requirements:

• Peripherals: Computer speakers or headphones
• Monitor Screen Resolution: 320 x 480 or higher
• Media Viewing Requirements: Adobe Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, Flash Player & HTML

Faculty Bio:

Andrew Shorr, MD, MPH
Associate Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care
Washington Hospital Center
Associate Professor of Medicine
George Washington University
Washington, DC

Andrew F. Shorr, MD, MPH, is Director (Interim) of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the Washington Hospital Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University. He received his undergraduate degree (public policy) from Princeton University, an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, and his medical degree from the University of Virginia. Dr Shorr’s research interests address healthcare outcomes, epidemiology in pulmonology/critical care, and infection in the hospitalized patient. He is an authority on healthcare outcomes research, a relatively new field requiring expertise in applying aspects of both traditional and social sciences. Health outcomes research can facilitate improvement in the practice and delivery of healthcare, thus limiting mortality and/or improving quality of health outcomes for patients.

Dr Shorr is the author/co-author of nearly 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He has served on the editorial board of Chest, currently serves on the editorial board of Critical Care Medicine, and is a reviewer on several medical and critical care journals. He also served as a Fullbright Specialist Scholar in 2010.

 

George H. Karam, MD
Paula Garvey Manship Professor of Medicine
L.S.U. School of Medicine
New Orleans, LA

George H. Karam, MD, FACP, FCCP, is the holder of the Paula Garvey Manship Chair of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA. He attended medical school at LSU, and he completed his internal medicine internship, residency, and infectious diseases fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center in Birmingham, AL. He is a diplomate in internal medicine and infectious disease from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He is a past Chairman of the ABIM Subspecialty Board on Infectious Diseases.  He now serves as Program Director for the LSU Internal Medicine Residency Program in Baton Rouge and as Regional Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. 

Dr. Karam’s scientific focus has been on the clinical aspects of bacterial resistance, with recent emphasis on antimicrobial stewardship.  His work in medical education has been on the development of the personal elements of professionalism in residents and medical students.

 

Jason M. Pogue, PharmD
Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist
Sinai-Grace Hospital, Detroit Medical Center
Detroit, MI
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Wayne State School of Medicine

Dr Jason Pogue is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine and is an infectious diseases clinical pharmacist at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit, MI. He received a bachelor degree in Chemistry from Gannon University, before obtaining his doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He then completed a PGY-1 residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, after which he left Pennsylvania for Michigan to obtain his PGY-2 ID training at the University of Michigan Health Systems. His research interests focus on epidemiology and treatment of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative organisms, and antimicrobial stewardship and he has co-authored over 45 peer reviewed articles and multiple book chapters in these areas. 

Disclosures:

Faculty reported the following financial relationships. A copy of MedEDirect’s policy on resolving conflicts of interest can be found at www.mededirect.org/faculty. 

 

Andrew F. Shorr, MD, MPH
Speaker for, consultant to or gotten research support from: Actavis, Alios, Astellas, AZ, Bayer, Cubist/Merck, Medco, Pfizer, Roche, Theravance, Wockhardt

George Karam, MD
Consultant to Merck

Jason Pogue, PharmD
Speaker for, consultant to or gotten research support from: Cubist, Theravance, Melinta, Durata

MedEDirect

Thomas Zimmerman, PhD (Reviewer, MedEDirect) has nothing to disclose.

John Zitel (Reviewer, MedEDirect) has nothing to disclose

Danielle Amodio (Planner, MedEDirect) has nothing to disclose.

Unlabeled and Investigational Usage:

The audience is advised that this continuing medical education activity may contain references to unlabeled uses of FDA-approved products or to products not approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The faculty members have been made aware of their obligation to disclose such usage. All activity participants will be informed if any speakers/authors intend to discuss either non-FDA approved or investigational use of products/devices.

Copyright:

Created and published by MedEDirect.org. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2016 MedEDirect.org. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The material presented at or in any of MedEDirect.org continuing medical education activities does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of MedEDirect.org. Neither MedEDirect.org nor the faculty endorse or recommend any techniques, commercial products, or manufacturers. The faculty/authors may discuss the use of materials and/or products that have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information before treating patients or utilizing any product.