BACKGROUND. Various transmission routes contribute to spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in hospitalized patients. Patients with readmissions during which CRKP is again isolated ("CRKP readmission") potentially contribute to…
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether prolonged hospital length of stay (HLOS) and rehabilitation facility length of stay (RLOS) lead to poor functional outcomes, defined as a Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score of…
A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, clinical trial found that a seven-day course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole following incision and drainage (I&D) resulted in a higher rate of cure for skin abscesses compared to I&D and placebo.
The article discusses research published in the 2016 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine" on a seven-day outpatient course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) as compared to placebo for skin abscesses after incision and drainage. The…
A nationwide cohort study from Denmark found a significantly increased risk of spontaneous abortion associated with oral fluconazole usage. Caution with this medication during pregnancy is advised.
A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial from the Netherlands found that longer-term antibiotic therapy fo r Lyme disease did not improve health-related quality o f life compared to a standard course of treatment.
The article focuses on the retrospective cohort study of the outbreak of the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) which causes the encephalitis and the central nervous system (CNS) involvement after a large CHIKV outbreak that occurred on Reunion Island between…
Although a well-conducted randomized clinical trial did not show that azithromycin was non-inferior to doxycycline for the treatment of chlamydia, both treatments resulted in a high rate of cure (97% and 100%, respectively).
The article reports that the Herpes Zoster (HZ) vaccine has decreased its effectiveness in adults that are above 60 years of age. Topics discussed include decline in beneficial effect of the HZ vaccine; determination of an optimal re-dosing strategy…
The article focuses on a bacteria Escherichia coli which lead to occurrence of pyelonephritis with increasing resistance of Escherichia coli for empiric antibiotics. Topics discussed include need for making choices of empiric antibiotic by clinicians…
The article discusses case-control study revealing an increased risk for developing community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) with the use of systemic glucocorticoids. Topics discussed include data collected from a population-based…
Patients admitted to a single hospital were screened for C. difficile carriage and those found to be positive were placed in contact isolation. This led to a significant decrease in hospital-acquired C. difficile infections.
The article focuses on a study conducted on patients allergic to Beta-Lactam antibiotics by increasing its dose. Topics discussed include collection of patients' demographic and allergy history data and performing penicillin skin testing (PST),…
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that giving cranberry capsules to elderly women residing in nursing homes did not result in any significant benefits, including no reduction in symptomatic urinary tract infections.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that giving cranberry capsules to elderly women residing in nursing homes did not result in any significant benefits, including no reduction in symptomatic urinary tract infections.
BACKGROUND: Online quiz competitions can facilitate extra-classroom interactions between faculty and medical students. Owing to decreased class attendance nationwide, teaching faculty might revamp their approach to medical education by providing…
Sneddon syndrome (SS) is a rare condition and the diagnosis is made only when other more common disease entities have been excluded. Common manifestations in SS patients include hypertension, coronary artery disease, venous thrombosis, miscarriages,…
Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is recommended in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension (HTN). However, little is known about the use and pattern of HBPM in CKD patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an…
BACKGROUND It is important for an ophthalmologist and nephrologist to look for hidden causes of uveitis and nephritis, respectively. Delay in diagnosis leads to increased morbidity and failure to systemically manage the patient results in future…
Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control…
BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections, creating a financial burden for the U.S. healthcare system. Reports suggest that vitamin D-deficient CDI patients incur higher…
Objectives. Management of mechanically ventilated patients may pose a challenge to novice residents, many of which may not have received formal dedicated critical care instruction prior to starting their residency training. There is a paucity of data…
Thrombocytopenia is a potential dialysis-related treatment complication. Developments in bio-compatible dialyser membranes have decreased the occurrence of thrombocytopenia. We investigated whether thrombopoiesis is impaired in haemodialysis patients…
Early and accurate diagnosis is essential for optimal treatment of individuals with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and for implementation of effective infection control procedures. The decision about which diagnostic test to use is an…
BACKGROUND: We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials of adults hospitalized with pneumonia outcomes research team (PORT) risk class 3-4 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) receiving ceftaroline fosamil versus ceftriaxone. METHODS: Three Phase…
BACKGROUND: Solithromycin, a novel macrolide antibiotic with both intravenous and oral formulations dosed once daily, has completed 2 global phase 3 trials for treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 863 adults with…
Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are a key national initiative to promote appropriate use of antibiotics and to reduce the burden of resistance. The dilemma of managing the outlier physician is especially complex. We outline strategies to…