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NHS England (NHSE) has published new prescribing guidance for various common conditions for which over the counter (OTC) items should not be routinely prescribed in primary care (quick reference guide). These conditions include acute diarrhoea in adults, and threadworms.
Many of these products are cheap to buy and are readily available OTC along with advice from pharmacies. Some self-care medicines are available from shops and supermarkets. Please click here for further information, exceptions, and a patient leaflet.
For people who test positive for H. pylori the following regimens should be taken for 7 days
Take into account previous exposure to clarithromycin, metronidazole or a quinolone, do not use if used in the past year for any infection.
Always use a formulary choice proton pump inhibitor (PPI) (see section 1.3.5 Proton pump inhibitors (PPI)) every 12 hours
or
If allergic to penicillin:
See NICE CG184: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia in adults: investigation and management (November 2014), for people allergic to penicillin and who have previous exposure to clarithromycin.
If people are still symptomatic after first-line treatment:
Drug Safety Updates for Levofloxacin (refer to 5.1.12 Quinolones for further details).
See NICE CG184 for people who are penicillin allergic and have prior quinolone exposure.
See NICE CG184 for people who have previous exposure to clarithromycin and metronidazole.
Consider referral to a specialist service, people with H. pylori that has not responded to second-line eradication therapy.
PPI therapy should only be continued after H pylori eradication in the case of active peptic ulceration. Continue once daily PPI therapy for one month for duodenal ulcers and two months for gastric ulcers.
Antibiotic therapy is usually not indicated unless systemically unwell and then should be based on stool culture result
If Salmonella treat and discuss with microbiology in a child under 3 months old, those over the age of 55 or immunosuppressed, or severe invasive disease.
Notify all confirmed and suspected cases of food poisoning: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-causative-organisms-how-to-report
Contact Public Health England: 0300 3038162
The information below is largely based on NICE NG199 Clostridioides difficile infection: antimicrobial prescribing (July 2021), but has been refined with local specialist input.
Please see Public Health England's guidance on the diagnosis and reporting of C. difficile
Ensure prompt submission of stool sample for testing if C. difficile infection is suspected. Note any history of antibiotic treatment on request form, and specifically request C. difficile testing as this is not routinely done on community specimens from patients under 65 years of age.
For people with suspected or confirmed C. difficile infection, assess:
Review existing antibiotic treatment and stop it unless essential. If an antibiotic is still essential, seek advice from a microbiologist for an alternative with a lower risk of causing C. difficile infection.
Review the need to continue any treatment with:
For all patients, local specialists suggest seeking prompt advice from a microbiologist regarding management, especially if the patient still requires antibiotic treatment for another indication. Do not delay initiation of treatment for C. difficile.
Advise all people with suspected or confirmed C. difficile infection about:
Patients with severe or life-threatening infection should be urgently referred to hospital (see reassessment and referral below)
When considering antibiotic treatment with vancomycin or fidaxomicin in primary care, it may be appropriate to contact community pharmacy to ensure supply is available within an adequate timeframe. Vancomycin 125mg capsules are included in the 2020/21 NHS England South West Enhanced Service for the Availability of Specialist Medicines and should be available from participating community pharmacies. Please note this is an enhanced service that is not available from all community pharmacies. A list of the pharmacies signed up to this service is available here.
For all patients, prompt advice regarding management should be sought from a microbiologist or infectious diseases specialist, however treatment initiation should not be delayed whilst awaiting specialist advice
Vancomycin is the preferred choice as it has superior efficacy to metronidazole in the treatment of C. difficile infection
OR
* Patients considered to be at high risk of relapse are those who require ongoing antibiotic therapy for other indications and those with historic episodes of C. difficile infection. If in doubt, seek advice from microbiology
Patients with severe or life-threatening infection should be urgently referred to hospital (see reassessment and referral below)
NICE NG199 defines a relapse as occurring within 12 weeks of previous symptom resolution and recurrence as occurring more than 12 weeks after previous symptom resolution.
When considering antibiotic treatment with vancomycin or fidaxomicin in primary care, it may be appropriate to contact community pharmacy to ensure supply is available within an adequate timeframe. Vancomycin 125mg capsules are included in the 2020/21 NHS England South West Enhanced Service for the Availability of Specialist Medicines and should be available from participating community pharmacies. Please note this is an enhanced service that is not available from all community pharmacies. A list of the pharmacies signed up to this service is available here.
Seek specialist advice regarding appropriate choice of antibiotic for all patients with recurrent episodes of C. difficile infection.
For recurrent episodes of C. difficile infection in adults who have had 2 or more previous episodes, refer to specialists for consideration of alternative treatments including faecal microbiota transplant.
OR
See 5.1.7 Some other antibacterials and 5.1.11 Metronidazole
Reassess people with suspected or confirmed C. difficile infection if symptoms or signs do not improve as expected, and refer to hospital if they are severely unwell, or their symptoms or signs worsen rapidly or significantly at any time.
Use clinical judgement to determine whether antibiotic treatment for C. difficile is ineffective. It is not usually possible to determine this until day 7 because diarrhoea may take 1 to 2 weeks to resolve.
Patients with severe or life-threatening infection should be urgently referred to hospital. Signs include:
Refer adults with 2 or more previous episodes of C. difficile infection to specialists for consideration of alternative treatments including faecal microbiota transplant.
Consider referring people in the community to hospital if they could be at high risk of complications or recurrence because of individual factors such as age, frailty, or comorbidities
Giardiasis can be transmitted by person-to-person spread by the faecal-oral route, by contact with the faeces of infected animals, by consumption of contaminated food or drink, waterborne including swimming in contaminated water, or by sexual transmission, particularly among men who have sex with men.
Many cases are associated with recent foreign travel, particularly from South Asia, and it is the most identified pathogen in returning travellers with prolonged diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea is the most common symptom of giardiasis. Other symptoms include abdominal cramps, bloating, flatulence, malaise, loss of appetite, and rarely nausea. Malabsorption, weight loss, and faltering growth may occur in children.
If giardiasis is suspected, especially if there is recurrent or prolonged diarrhoea (over 14 days) or travel to at-risk areas:
Advise all people with suspected or confirmed giardiasis infection about:
Notify the local health protection team immediately of confirmed giardiasis by completing a notification form.
Screen all household and sexual contacts for giardia as household members may have asymptomatic infection.
See section: 5.1.11 Nitroimidazole derivatives
Alcohol should be avoided during and for at least 48 hours after metronidazole treatment, because of the possibility of a disulfiram-like reaction (flushing, abdominal cramps, vomiting, tachycardia).
If metronidazole is not appropriate or not tolerated seek specialist advice.
In the case of pregnancy or breastfeeding discuss with a microbiologist or infection specialist.
Discuss compliance with metronidazole course, consider repeating metronidazole treatment as above if treatment course was not completed. If metronidazole is not appropriate or not tolerated seek specialist advice.
If recurrence of symptoms occurs:
Bloody diarrhoea may be a sign of verotoxingenic E coli enteritis (VTEC/0157 disease). Always send a stool sample from children or elderly with acute painful or bloody diarrhoea to exclude E. coli 0157 infection. If unwell consider haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Antibiotics are generally contraindicated in E. coli 0157 infections/HUS.
Primary care practitioners are recommended to always seek urgent specialist advice whenever a child or elderly are reported to have had a single episode of bloody diarrhoea. Referral is an emergency where, significant dehydration, acute abdominal pain, or signs and symptoms indicating a differential diagnosis that includes the possible need for surgical intervention, are present.
Antibiotic therapy not indicated unless systemically unwell.
Do not use anti-motility agents and assess/treat dehydration in every child or elderly person. See NICE CG84: Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis in under 5s: diagnosis and management (April 2009), for further guidance
Refer to CKS website for further details
Treat all household contacts at the same time plus advise hygiene measures for 2 weeks (hand hygiene, pants at night, morning shower) plus wash sleepwear, bed linen, dust, and vacuum on day one.
For children less than 6 months of age, use hygiene measures alone. Advise cleaning the bottom gently but thoroughly at each nappy change. Advise parents to wash their hands thoroughly before and after each nappy change.
If reinfection occurs a second dose may be needed after 2 weeks
Mebendazole not licensed in this age group but 6 weeks strict hygiene may be sufficient to clear infection and prevent re-infection.
Only consider standby antibiotics for remote areas or people at high-risk of severe illness with travellers' diarrhoea.
If standby treatment appropriate give:
Notes
Refer to 5.1.12 Quinolones for further details