Prompt 1:This week, you will write a 2- to 3-page paper on antibiograms and their role in infectious disease epidemiology.
Review this week’s readings and antibiogram resources and then answer the following questions:
- What is an antibiogram? How is it created and used to prevent the growth of multidrug resistant organisms?
- Research and describe a controversy concerning antibiograms. Be sure to use credible, scholarly sources.
Your paper must be 2–3 pages in length. Include evidence or information from at least one credible external source and follow APA style for formatting and citation.
Your textbook and supplemental reading material may be used as a reference. The APA format for your text is as follows:
Nelson, K. E. (2014). Infectious disease epidemiology (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Principles of epidemiology in public health practice: Self-study course (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Prompt 2 :Anytown needs your help to determine what intervention programs are available for opioid users.
There are no programs currently available for the residents, so swift action is necessary. Your supervisor at the Department of Health has asked you to prepare a report on an intervention program. If this report is approved, you may be tasked with a full report to submit to the director.
Use the same study from discussion prompt 1, which discusses the efficacy of a treatment program for opioid use and answer the following questions:
- What hypothesis was proposed? Did the researchers obtain an answer?
- What type of intervention was utilized?
- How were the participants selected?
- What were the modes of data collection, analysis, and interpretation?
- Do you think this can work in Anytown? Explain your answer.
The report should be 2–3 pages, excluding title and references pages. Use current APA formatting to style your paper and to cite your sources. Integrate a minimum of two scholarly sources into the paragraphs of your paper. Use internal citations pointing to evidence in the literature and supporting your ideas. You will need to include a reference page.
See the rubric for specific grading criteria.
You will use this same intervention program in your week 8 signature assignment.
Expert Solution Preview
Prompt 1:
An antibiogram is a visual representation of the susceptibility of bacteria to various antibiotics. It is created by collecting bacterial isolates from clinical specimens and testing each isolate against different antibiotics. The results are then tabulated to determine which antibiotics are most effective against the bacteria. Antibiotic sensitivity testing is an essential tool for guiding appropriate antimicrobial therapy and preventing the growth of multidrug-resistant organisms. By knowing which antibiotics are most effective in treating a bacterial infection, physicians can prescribe targeted therapy, reducing the risk of treatment failure and the development of antibiotic resistance.
One controversy surrounding antibiograms is the lack of standardization in testing methods and interpretations. There are no universal guidelines for producing and interpreting antibiograms, leading to variations in how different institutions produce them. Some experts advocate for standardizing the methods used to determine antibiotic susceptibility to ensure consistency in practice. Others argue that standardization may not be feasible, given the diversity of bacterial species and antimicrobial agents. Nevertheless, establishing a standard approach to susceptibility testing may improve the accuracy of antibiograms and optimize patient care.
Prompt 2:
The study proposed a hypothesis that a treatment program consisting of a combination of psychosocial interventions and medication-assisted therapy would be more effective in reducing opioid use than either intervention alone. The researchers obtained an answer to their hypothesis by conducting a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive medication-assisted therapy combined with counseling, counseling alone, or medication alone. The researchers then compared the rate of opioid use between the three groups over time.
The intervention used in the study combined medication-assisted therapy, which involves the use of medications such as methadone or buprenorphine to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings, with counseling. Participants in the combined intervention group received both treatments concurrently, while those in the medication-only group received medication, and those in the counseling-only group received behavioral therapy.
The participants in the study were selected using a screening process that included diagnostic interviews and urine drug screens. Participants had to meet specific criteria for opioid dependence and agree to adhere to the treatment plan. The study excluded participants with significant medical or psychiatric comorbidities that may have interfered with treatment.
The data collection involved regular monitoring of opioid use using urine drug screens and self-report assessments. The researchers analyzed the data using statistical methods, comparing the rate of opioid use between the three groups.
The intervention program used in the study may be effective in Anytown, given the evidence supporting the combination of medication-assisted therapy and counseling in treating opioid use disorder. However, the feasibility of implementing such a program would depend on various factors, such as the availability of trained healthcare providers, access to medications, and funding for treatment. Anytown may need to adapt the intervention to meet the specific needs and resources of the community.
