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In this issue: Side effects of statins; effects of cannabis use; antihypertensives and lip cancer; and FDA actions.
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Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major complication associated with antibiotic usage, and its incidence continues to increase. Management of CDI remains challenging despite new therapies and many patients suffer from recurrences. Interventions to limit acquisition of the disease are therefore urgently needed.
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Travel to the Middle East may have gotten less popular recently, but for those planning to travel for the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) October 24-29, 2012, The National Travel Health Network has issued updated guidelines, as follows:
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Uwanyiligira et al retrospectively analyzed charts of all patients seen at the Travel Clinic of the University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) between January 2005 and August 2011.
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Prior to 2012, only 2 cases of hantavirus infection had been identified in visitors to California's Yosemite National Park one in 2000 and another in 2010. Both infections were acquired in the Tuolomne Meadows area, miles distant from the iconic Yosemite Valley.
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Effective antimicrobial stewardship is of particular importance in the developing world. In many developing countries, inappropriate antimicrobial use has led to widespread drug resistance among not only bacterial isolates, but also among parasites and other infectious agents.
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The different drug formulations of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) may determine the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a new study. It is known that combined estrogen-progesterone therapy has a higher risk of VTE than estrogen-only therapy, and oral therapy has a higher risk than transdermal therapy.
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A remarkably large number of presentations at IDWeek held in San Diego October 17-21, 2012, dealt directly with issues of antimicrobial stewardship. These included aspects such as documenting the frequency of inappropriate antibiotic use in various settings together with descriptions of successful interventions.
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There are very little data on antibiotic stewardship in LTCF. This work (Jump et al.) came from a Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) demonstration project at the Cleveland VA Medical Center. The LID was a LTCF Infectious Disease team that provided on site consultations.
