Infectious Disease Alert – April 1, 2020
April 1, 2020
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Pharmacotherapy Considerations for COVID-19
This article provides a brief summary of selected pharmacotherapy options proposed for COVID-19.
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Quantifying the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the United States
In the United States, the rate of symptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to contacts was only 0.45%, but was 10.5% in household contacts; there were tertiary symptomatic transmissions. However, since only symptomatic individuals underwent testing, the actual overall rate of transmission with or without resultant symptomatic illness is likely to be higher.
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Combination Therapy of MRSA Bacteremia Was Not Beneficial in a Randomized Clinical Trial
In a randomized clinical trial conducted at 27 hospitals in four countries, researchers found that the addition of an antistaphylococcal beta-lactam to vancomycin or daptomycin (99% received vancomycin) did not lead to improved outcomes in MRSA bacteremia. The trial was stopped early because of safety concerns, including a higher risk of acute kidney injury in the combination group.
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Empiric Anti-MRSA Therapy in Pneumonia May Not Always Be a Good Idea
In a retrospective cohort study, 88,605 patients in the Veterans Administration system who were hospitalized with pneumonia were examined. Thirty-eight percent received empiric anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) treatment. Empiric anti-MRSA treatment was not associated with a reduction in mortality in any subgroup of patients studied and appeared to cause harm in many patients.
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Imipenem, Cilastatin, Relebactam (Recarbrio)
In July 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved imipenem, cilastatin, relebactam for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI).
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Urinary Fermentation Syndrome? Residential Legionellosis From Potable Water; Which Treatment for SARS-CoV-2 Is Best?