Author profile
David M. Patrick, MD, FRCPC, MHSc
Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern that threatens the effective treatment of infectious diseases.[1] A recent report published by the World Health Organization on the global surveillance of antimicrobial... Read More
You can place your order for the 2012 Bugs and Drugs guide now at www.fluidsurveys.com/s/BugsandDrugs. The guide is provided through the BC Do Bugs Need Drugs? program, operated by the BCCDC with support from the... Read More
BC physicians are playing an active role in rethinking antibiotic use. No doubt, our motivation increases as we see the problem of antibiotic resistance, once largely confined to hospitals, affect our patients in... Read More
Confidentially, could you resist looking at your pattern of antibiotic prescribing and comparing it with evidence? Without anyone else knowing? If you are a GP in active practice, you will soon receive a... Read More
This article highlights recent trends in antimicrobial resistance of key bacterial pathogens. These findings represent a brief overview of the BCCDC’s 2010 Antimicrobial Resistance Trends report.[1] Bacterial... Read More
In April 2009, clusters of severe respiratory illness in Mexico and sporadic cases of more typical influenza illness were identified in California and Texas due to a novel influenza A H1N1 (human swine) strain. This... Read More
Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents has become a major public health threat.[1] Few novel antibiotics have been developed as therapeutic alternatives in the last decade. Because the rate of antibiotic use is a... Read More
Background Streptococcus pneumoniae causes a range of invasive and noninvasive infections and remains the primary agent of community-acquired pneumonia.[1] Until recently the only licensed vaccine available was... Read More
Universal immunization of BC infants with four doses of conjugate pneumococcal vaccine was introduced in September 2003. There is already a dramatic decline in the rate of invasive pneumococcal disease in those under... Read More
Despite the decreasing use of antibiotics within Canada, the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae, is increasing and has become a significant threat to public health.... Read More