I) Infectious Diseases Society of America Resources

The IDSA is a respected source of Infectious Diseases related information and policy recommendations. Their 2004 policy paper, "Bad Bugs, No Drugs" (4182K PDF document) provides a useful perspective on antibacterial resistance trends and some of the critical limitations of our current systems for antimicrobial drug development.

II) The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine Resources

The Institute of Medicine was chartered by the National Academy of Sciences to be responsible as an adviser to the federal government. This 1998 report edited by Polly Harrison and Joshua Lederberg, Antimicrobial Resistance - Issues and Options, is offered by the National Academies Press for free on-line reading.

III) Practice Guidelines

Practice guidelines have been developed by experts and help clinicians to meet current standards of care and use antimicrobial agents judiciously. Three guidelines for commonly presenting conditions are included below.

1. Judicious Use Antimicrobials for Pediatric Upper Respiratory Infections; Guidelines from the journal Pediatrics,(252K PDF document) published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
2. Otitis Media - Principles of Judicious Use of Antimicrobial Agents; Guidelines from the journal Pediatrics,(165K PDF document) published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
3. CDC Careful Antibiotic Use Guidelines: Rhinitis vs. Sinusitis(71K PDF document)

IV) CDC Resources

1. For general information about resistance from the CDC:
   http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/
   
   
2. CDC Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings:
   
   
3. Get Smart CDC Program
   The CDC describes this effort as: "Overuse of antibiotics is jeopardizing the usefulness of essential drugs. Decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use is the best way to control resistance. In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a national campaign to reduce antimicrobial resistance through promotion of more appropriate antibiotic use."
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Other CDC Sites:
   • http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/orderform.htm to reorder handouts, etc.
   • http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/tools.htm to see new posters, videos, etc.

V) Child Health Information Web Sites - for Parents

Some recommended web sites for reliable child health information.

• American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org
• Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov
• St. Louis Children's Hospitalwww.stlouischildrens.org/
• The Prevention Connection www.amnh.org/explore/infection/

VI) Recommended Books for Parents

1. Offit, Paul A. MD. : Breaking the Antibiotic Habit, A Parent's Guide to Coughs, Colds, Ear Infections, and Sore Throats, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York. 1999.

2. Schmitt, Barton MD: Your Child's Health Bantam Books New York , revised 1991.

Credits:

Thank you to Jane Garbutt ( http://gms.im.wustl.edu/faculty/garbutt.html ) for some information source recommendations.

Thank you to Paul Wegmann and the WashU Pediatric Computing Facility for Web Site design & construction.

This site is intended to provide supporting material for the Pediatrics Grand Rounds Lecture by Jeff McKinney.

Disclaimer:

This material is provided as an information resource only, and not as a guide for recommendation of treatment, for physicians and other health care professionals who are concerned with the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. The information referred to on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon for final treatment decisions.

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