Infectious Disease
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Ventilator-associated Pneumonia with Minimal Ventilatory Requirements — Discontinuing Antibiotics After Three Days
Discontinuation of empiric antibiotic therapy given for treatment of presumed ventilator-associated pneumonia can be discontinued safely after three days in patients with minimal ventilator requirements.
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Decreasing Malaria Mortality in Africa
Malaria mortality in Africa has decreased by approximately 57% during the past 15 years, but some areas still have low level use of bed nets, low coverage with antimalarial medication, and higher death rates due to malaria. At the same time, anti-malarial measures are still important for individuals traveling to endemic areas.
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A Short Course of Antibiotics for Acute Otitis Media in Children Leads to Worse Outcomes Compared to Standard Course Therapy
A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial determined that in children 6-23 months of age with acute otitis media, five days of amoxicillin-clavulanate resulted in more clinical failure compared to a 10-day course of therapy.
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Intrauterine Zika Virus Infection — Not Just Microcephaly at Birth
Manifestations of intrauterine Zika infection may not be clinically apparent at birth, warranting the use of early neuroimaging and careful follow-up.
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Zika Virus and Risk of Congenital Abnormalities
Two recent studies clarify the substantial risk of congenital abnormalities following maternal Zika virus infection. The risk is highest in the first trimester of pregnancy, and appears similar following symptomatic and asymptomatic maternal infection.
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Joint Commission Antibiotic Stewardship in Effect
Infection preventionists should be aware that with the turn of the new year, The Joint Commission’s antibiotic stewardship standard is now in effect. The new Medication Management (MM) standard (MM.09.01.01) requires antimicrobial stewardship programs for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers.
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SHEA Epidemiologists training for ‘All Hazards” Outbreaks
After a succession of emerging infections from SARS to Ebola in this young century, healthcare epidemiologists are trying to shift the response from reacting to a single pathogen to a more all-hazards approach.
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Research on Antibiotics Raises Ethical Questions
With drug-resistant bacteria on the rise, clinical trials are being undertaken to determine whether antibiotics can be used less often for shorter durations without sacrificing clinical effect. Attempts to answer that question raise ethical issues of their own.
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Healthcare Workers Fired for Refusing Flu Shots Win Legal Fight
The case could have implications for the increasing number of hospitals requiring influenza vaccination as a condition of employment, as the hospital agreed to compensate the workers some $300,000 for lost wages and compensatory damages after the EEOC filed suit in September 2016.
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CDC Updating HCW Infection Control Guidelines
Infection preventionists who work closely with employee health colleagues — or wear the proverbial “two hats” for both jobs — should be aware that the CDC is updating its 1998 “Guideline for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel.”