Adult Pneumococcal Disease Education: Integrated Regional Learning Series
Pneumococcus is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable illness and death in the United States and worldwide. Streptococcus pneumoniae causes pneumonia, bacteremia and meningitis in children and adults. With the increase in antibiotic use in the United States, there has also been an increase in the frequency of multidrug-resistant strains of pneumococci. Additionally, there has also been an observed increase in drug-resistant strains of non-vaccine pneumococcal serotypes since the introduction of the pediatric pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). This causes more complicated treatment decisions, increased treatment failures, longer hospitalizations, and other associated medical costs in treating pneumococcal disease. Despite recommendations from the ACIP and other organizations, immunization rates for adult pneumococcal vaccination rates fall short of the Healthy People 2010 goals. Barriers to achieving appropriate immunizations rates include system, provider, and patient-related factors. Addressing these barriers can help to achieve national immunization goals and the prevention of pneumococcal disease in adults.
Target Audience
This educational activity is designed for family physicians, geriatricians, osteopathic physicians, and other health care professionals.
Educational Activity Learning Objectives
After participating in this educational curriculum, health care professionals should be able to:
- Indicate the current burden of pneumococcal disease among adults and identify profiles of specific patients at greatest risk for these preventable diseases
- Identify challenges facing adequate treatment of pneumococcal disease in adults, such as the emergence of non-vaccine serotype disease and trends in antibiotic-resistance, and define how these elements impact clinical decision making
- Describe specific barriers that prevent the proper immunization of adults against pneumococcal disease, and define future strategies for overcoming these barriers
This activity is provided in collaboration between The University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Continuing Education and The France Foundation and is supported by an educational grant from Wyeth.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Continuing Education and The France Foundation present this information for educational purposes only. The content is provided solely by faculty who have been selected because of recognized expertise in their field. Participants have the professional responsibility to ensure that products are prescribed and used appropriately on the basis of their own clinical judgment and accepted standards of care. The University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Continuing Education, The France Foundation, and Wyeth assume no liability for the information herein.
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The University of Nebraska Medical Center |
The France Foundation |
