Infectious Disease Topics
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Online Sex and Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Swingers Come Out; HIV-positive Patients Require Hepatitis B Vaccine
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Influenza Vaccine: High Dose or Standard Dose?
High-dose inactivated influenza vaccine was superior to standard-dose vaccine in providing protection against influenza or pneumonia-associated hospitalizations.
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Refugee Screening
Screening and potential treatment of refugees prior to travel to the United States effectively reduces the burden of infection.
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SIRS Criteria vs. qSOFA for Predicting Short-term Mortality From Sepsis
A meta-analysis that included 38 studies found the SIRS criteria had a higher sensitivity than qSOFA in predicting short-term mortality from sepsis. SIRS criteria remain useful as a screening tool for sepsis and as a prompt to initiate diagnostic work-up and treatment.
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Neuroimaging Before Lumbar Puncture?
The investigators retrospectively evaluated ESCMIID, IDSA, and Swedish guidelines for neuroimaging in 815 adults with acute bacterial meningitis. Swedish guidelines omit altered mental status and immunosuppression as indications for imaging prior to lumbar puncture. Adherence to Swedish guidelines resulted in decreased mortality and more favorable outcomes.
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Food Tray Contamination With MRSA/VRE; Hospital Ice Machines Contaminated With Bacteria; Significance of Toxocara Serologies?
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What Do the Urinary Microbiota and Incontinence Have to Do With Each Other?
Increased diversity of the microbiota in women is associated with urgency urinary incontinence symptoms but not with stress urinary incontinence symptoms.
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Does Adding Rifampin to Standard Therapy Improve Outcomes in Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia?
The addition of rifampin to standard therapy failed to provide significant benefit to patients with bacteremia due to Staphylococcus aureus.
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New Agent for Treatment of Chagas Disease Disappoints in Clinical Trial
A randomized, controlled trial of E1224 (a ravuconazole prodrug) in different doses and durations was studied in adult patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease. Parasite clearance was observed in treated patients, but the response was transient in most patients.
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Mefloquine: Still Effective and Still Safe for Malaria Chemoprophylaxis
Mefloquine is known as an effective agent for malaria chemoprophylaxis. However, concerns about serious adverse effects have limited its use. Now, a careful review of data suggests that fatal outcomes related to mefloquine prophylaxis are very rare.