Infectious Disease Alert – December 1, 2020

December 1, 2020

• Healthcare Personnel Hospitalizations and COVID-19 — with Possible Implications for Vaccine Prioritization

  During the period of study, 5.9% of individuals hospitalized for COVID-19-related reasons were healthcare providers (HCP), with approximately one-third involving HCP who were not expected to have direct patient contact in the course of their work.

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• Virtual Visits and Antibiotic Prescribing

  Compared to in-person visits, virtual visits were associated with improved antibiotic prescribing practices for women with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

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• Does MRSA Nares Colonization Predict Non-Respiratory MRSA Infections?

  Nares screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has a high negative predictive value to rule out MRSA infections at various sites.

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• Voriconazole vs. Itraconazole for Treatment of Histoplasmosis

  A retrospective cohort study found that patients treated with voriconazole had increased mortality during the first 42 days after the start of treatment compared to patients who received itraconazole.

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• Antibiotics for Traveler’s Diarrhea

  International travel carries a risk of colonization by antimicrobial-resistant intestinal flora. The use of a quinolone, but not a macrolide, during travel further increases the risk of acquisition of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

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• Predictors of Therapy Outcomes for Cryptococcal Meningitis: Failure of In Vitro Susceptibility Testing, Success of Early Fungicidal Activity

  Although in vitro susceptibility testing failed to have value in predicting therapeutic outcome in patients with cryptococcal meningitis, detection of a rapid decline in fungal density in cerebrospinal fluid was associated with improved outcomes in a separate study.

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• Infectious Disease Alert Updates

  Fatal ESBL Infection from Fecal Microbiota Transplant; Second Joint Infection When One Prosthetic Gets Infected?

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