Infectious Disease Alert
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Childhood Diarrhea — Judicious Use of Diagnostic Tests
In the United States, rapid diagnostic testing for panels of potential gastrointestinal pathogens in children increases the yield of identifying rare pathogens, but, overall, does not change length of stay for hospitalized patients or reduce hospital charges. -
Staphylococcal Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: Drop the Rifampin? And the Gentamicin?
In a retrospective study, the investigators failed to find evidence of benefit of adjunctive rifampin therapy in patients with staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis. -
Bacteremic Urinary Tract Infection in the Elderly — Sometimes It’s a Guessing Game
In elderly patients with bacteremic urinary tract infection (UTI), symptoms of UTI were present in only one-third of patients, only four-fifths had fever, and just three-fifths had an early diagnosis of UTI. -
Extensive Loss of Health at Six Months in Survivors of COVID-19
A cohort study from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found many survivors of COVID-19 had significant loss of health six months after their acute illness, with greater risk associated with severity of the acute infection. -
Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Aussie Flesh-Eating Disease; Misleading Imaging in COVID; Abstruse 2021 CLABSI Case Definition
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Ebola — Sometimes it Does Not Go Away
A patient without apparent immunodeficiency experienced a late relapse of Ebola virus disease with subsequent transmission causing 91 secondary cases. Such late relapse raises concerns regarding control of this disease.
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Candida Endocarditis
A review of a national administrative database examined 703 patients with Candida endocarditis and found the greatest risk factor for mortality was underlying liver failure, while a history of opiate abuse was associated with a reduced risk of death.
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Antibiotic Therapy: How Long Is Long Enough (or too Long)?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Physicians have provided advice on the best practice regarding the duration of antibiotic therapy for a number of common infections.
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Reduced Incidence of Kawasaki Disease During the Time of COVID-19
Mitigation in response to COVID-19 has been associated with decreases in common childhood respiratory infections. The incidence of Kawasaki disease from April to December 2020 was significantly decreased from the same period during the previous eight years.
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Response to COVID-19 Vaccination in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
The apparent immunogenicity of available SARS-CoV-2 messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines is markedly reduced in solid organ transplant recipients, providing concern that they may not provide protection from symptomatic COVID-19 in many.