Infectious Disease
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Unexpected Benefit of Pneumococcal Vaccine in Decreasing the Burden of Otitis Media
Surveillance data collected prospectively in Israel reveal a decline in progression from pneumococcal carriage to complex otitis media in both vaccine-targeted and non-vaccine serotypes following implementation of routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Vaccinating against pneumococcal serotypes causing early-life infections may reduce the risk of subsequently developing complex otitis media due to other organisms.
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Follow-up Blood Cultures in Gram-negative Bacteremia — Don’t Order Them
In contrast to blood cultures obtained on therapy in patients with Gram-positive bacteremia and endocarditis, follow-up blood cultures in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia seldom provide useful information.
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Spinal Epidural Abscess
Non-operative management of spinal epidural abscess is safe and effective in selected patients.
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Self-administered Weekly Therapy for Latent Tuberculosis Is Non-inferior to Directly Observed Therapy in the United States
A randomized clinical trial conducted in the United States and three other countries compared self-administered isoniazid and rifapentine with and without weekly reminders to directly observed therapy (DOT). Self-administered therapy without reminders was non-inferior to DOT in the United States; no other comparisons met non-inferiority criteria.
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The High Costs of Measles Investigations
Adding to the frustration of the re-emergence of measles — a childhood vaccine-preventable disease — are the labor-intensive high cost investigations to track down all people exposed to a case that was not immediately identified and isolated.
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Flu Vaccine Refusal: 50 Healthcare Workers Fired
The push for mandatory seasonal flu vaccination in the nation’s hospitals continues, increasing patient safety but leading to job loss for healthcare workers who refuse to comply.
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Joint Commission Antibiotic Stewardship Standard
Infection preventionists looking to hone compliance with The Joint Commission’s accreditation standard requiring antibiotic stewardship may find some guidance in these answers to frequently asked questions.
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CMS Reg in Limbo, but Joint Commission Standard Kicks In
A CMS proposed regulation requiring antibiotic stewardship in hospitals still is in limbo, but hospitals increasingly are adopting the programs due to new accreditation requirements by The Joint Commission.
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Stewardship Recommendations for Critical Access Hospitals
While preventing drug-resistant bugs is a national public health priority, critical access hospitals should adopt antibiotic stewardship programs in line with their own needs and resources, the CDC states in new guidelines.
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Bad Bugs in Small Hospitals
Relatively ignored during the first wave of antibiotic stewardship initiatives, small, rural critical access hospitals are the focus of new CDC guidelines designed to stop the rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens.