Infectious Disease Topics
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Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in the USA — A Molecular and Clinical Analysis
Patient mortality rates were high among patients from whom carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) were cultured, regardless of whether the organism was causing infection or was a only a colonizer. In addition, mortality was similar regardless of whether a carbapenemase gene was present. Finally, not all “CRE” were truly CRE.
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Clostridioides difficile: Risk Factors for Disease
Approximately one-tenth of asymptomatic patients with Clostridioides difficile colonization went on to develop disease. A wide range of antibiotic exposures represent a significant risk.
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Inappropriately Broad Empiric Antibiotics Are Associated with Higher Mortality in Community-Onset Sepsis
A retrospective cohort study found that broad-spectrum antibiotics were unnecessarily prescribed to patients with community-onset sepsis and was associated with worse outcomes and higher mortality.
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Biologic Warfare: A Game-Changer in the Battle Against Malaria?
A non-pathogenic microsporidian organism can infect Anopheles mosquitoes and block the transmission of malaria parasites, without negatively altering the life of the mosquito. This organism potentially could be used for widespread malaria control.
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Masking Our Anxiety; Is it Luck or Genetics? Neurologic Infection from SARS-CoV-2
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Evaluation of 2020 Vancomycin Guidelines: Highlights, Limitations, and Obstacles
The key change from the 2009 vancomycin guidelines is the switch from trough-based to area under the curve (AUC)-based dosing and monitoring. This article will highlight key differences between the 2009 and 2020 guidelines, limitations of the new guidelines, and implementation issues.
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Differentiating Clostridioides difficile Infection from Chronic Carriage in Patients with Diarrhea Through Host Inflammatory Markers
Investigators compared levels of inflammatory markers in patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) to those who were colonized with it. Several markers appeared to be able to distinguish true CDI, although a gold standard definition of CDI is needed.
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Malaria Prophylaxis During Pregnancy
In a retrospective study of American military women involving 50 treated with atovaquone-proguanil and 156 exposed to mefloquine, no increase in risk of fetal loss or adverse infant outcomes was identified. Atovaquone-proguanil seems safe for use in pregnancy, but data are limited.
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COVID-19 and Children
In China, children of all ages have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and seem to follow a relatively mild clinical course.
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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).