A population-based case-control study from Denmark found the use of statins was associated with a decreased risk for community-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, with the greatest benefit from higher doses.
A retrospective study that included patients from 119 Veterans Affairs hospitals found lower mortality and a similar recurrence rate for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia treated with cefazolin compared to nafcillin and…
Using large databases from New York and California, investigators found the overall incidence of infective endocarditis remained stable between 1998 and 2013, and 90-day mortality declined. Changes were noted in pathogen etiology and patient…
A randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trial that enrolled patients presenting to emergency departments with uncomplicated cellulitis found the addition of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to cephalexin did not lead to better outcomes.
A retrospective cohort study found that endogenous fungal endophthalmitis is associated with intravenous drug use and frequently results in poor visual outcomes despite appropriate surgical and antifungal therapy.
The article presents a study, which shows anaerobic bacteria as main cause of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). Topics include use of molecular techniques for elucidating the microbiology of HS skin lesions; common HS lesions such as Prevotella,…
An observational study from England showed that restricting fluoroquinolone use reduced incidence of Clostridium difficile infection more than would be predicted by improved infection control methods alone.
The author discusses the study which involved children aged six to twenty three months diagnosed with acute otitis media (AOM) basing on indications such as onset of symptoms in the preceding 48 hours, the presence of a middle-ear suffusion and…
In a small randomized, controlled trial that compared fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) administered by enema to a six-week oral vancomycin taper, FMT was not more effective for patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.
The article comments on the retrospective cohort study "Risk of acute kidney injury in patients on concomitant vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam compared to those on vancomycin and cefepime" by B. Navalkele and colleagues. The study found that…
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.
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),…
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 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…
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 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…
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 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…
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.
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.
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…
Results of the phase 2 LATTE study show that after 24 weeks of induction triple therapy, maintenance therapy with cabotegravir (a long-acting dolutegravir analogue) and rilpivirine led to virological suppression in 82% of patients, compared to 71 %…
The first reported case of human disease caused by parasite-derived cancer cells was discovered in a 41-year-old man with HIV infection; lung, adrenal, and liver nodules; and lymphadenopathy.
A meta-analysis based on nine studies found an elevated serum procalcitonin to be an accurate test for differentiating bacterial from viral meningitis in adults.
Despite notable advances in critical care medicine, mortality from severe sepsis remains unacceptably high. With current therapeutic strategies, nothing has proven more crucial than early and effective antibiotics. Among the most commonly utilized…
