Antimicrobials 3 - specific conditions

Management of Tuberculosis 5.1.9

You must be familiar with the principles of management of TB not just the pharmacological aspects listed below.
Specifically you should be familiar with:

  • The “initial phase” management involving 4 drugs, including their names - TB antibiotic regimes
  • The implications of pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • The importance of hepatic and renal function checks
  • Details of individual drugs in terms of dosages, side-effects etc is NOT required

Urinary tract infections 5.1.13

You must be familiar with the common microbial agents implicated in UTI and the importance of early antibacterial treatment of childhood infections.

Specific knowledge:

Antifungal preparations 5.2

Knowledge requirements are limited to an understanding of management of candidiasis.

Specific knowledge:

Herpesvirus infections

Herpes simplex & varicella zoster

You must understand the pharmacological management of simplex and varicella infections, in particular with reference to:

  • HSV-1 and HSV-2 and their usual sites of infection;
  • Treatment principles of localised ocular or lip infection;
  • Indications for systemic antiviral therapy for simplex infection;
  • Management implications of neonatal chickenpox;
  • Problems of exposure to varicella during pregnancy → see Exposure to varicella
  • Management of Shingles.

Specific knowledge:

Antimalarials 5.4.1

It is important that you understand the pharmaceutical approach to management of falciparum malaria. This is because it represents the initial management approach where the causative organism in unknown, as will be the case in ED presentations of fever in a returning traveller in whom the diagnosis is suspected.

Although the specific dosages of the first-line agents are not required knowledge, you should be familiar with:

  • The use of quinine or Malarone as the initial agent
  • The implications for management in pregnant patients

You should understand the implications of patients who return from malarial regions with illness in the year following travel. Chemoprophylaxis and specific recommendations: specific knowledge is NOT required.

#curriculum #primary-curriculum