Tag: infection
Decontamination of Oral or Digestive Tract for Patients in the ICU
The study by Wittekamp and colleagues in this issue of JAMA evaluating strategies for decontamination of mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) fills an important gap in the evidence regarding these... read more
An Incurable Disease Is On The Rise In California, And Scientists Say Climate Change Could Cause It To Spread To Much Of The Western US
A fungus that thrives in dry soil and warm weather has caused a record number of infections in California. Experts fear climate change will cause it to spread across the western US. Valley fever, a fungal disease that infects... read more
Last Year, The Flu Put Him In A Coma. This Year He’s Getting The Shot
Charlie Hinderliter wasn't opposed to the flu shot. He didn't have a problem with vaccinations. He was one of about 53 percent of Americans who just don't get one. An estimated 80,000 Americans died of the flu, or flu-related... read more
Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to predict blood culture results in ICU patients
Biomarkers represent an essential tool for identification of patients developing infection and to determine their clinical severity. Procalcitonin (PCT) levels appeared to be correlated with the development of severe bacterial... read more
Meet the trillions of viruses that make up your virome
If you think you don’t have viruses, think again. It may be hard to fathom, but the human body is occupied by large collections of microorganisms, commonly referred to as our microbiome, that have evolved with us since... read more
Early PREdiction of Sepsis Using Leukocyte Surface Biomarkers
From a large panel of leukocyte biomarkers, immunosuppression biomarkers were associated with subsequent sepsis in ED patients with suspected acute infection. Between January 2014 and February 2016, we recruited 272, 59 and... read more
Six Reasons to Avoid Fluoroquinolones in the Critically Ill
As an internal medicine resident and pulmonary/critical care fellow, I loved fluoroquinolones. They were effective, easy to prescribe, and had 100% oral bioavailability. However, working full-time in the ICU has forced me... read more
Viral Sepsis in Children
Sepsis in children is typically presumed to be bacterial in origin until proven otherwise, but frequently bacterial cultures ultimately return negative. Although the incidence of viral-induced sepsis is not precisely known,... read more
Circulating Biomarkers May be Unable to Detect Infection at the Early Phase of Sepsis in ICU Patients
During the study period, 363 patients with SIRS were screened, 84 having exclusion criteria. Ninety‑one patients were classified as having non‑septic SIRS and 188 as having sepsis. Eight biomarkers had an area under... read more
New World Sepsis Day Infographics
The new World Sepsis Day Infographics are now available for download, just in time for World Sepsis Day this Thursday. Please download them and feel free to use them as you see fit, on your social media channels, printed... read more
ICU Usage for Pneumonia Doubles Length of Hospital Stay
A recently released report using data from the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) verifies existing data on the prevalence of pneumonia in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits and provides the first-ever... read more
New York State Sepsis Reporting Mandate Appears to Improve Care and Reduce Deaths
A New York State requirement that all hospitals report compliance with protocols to treat severe sepsis and septic shock appears to improve care and reduce mortality from one of the most common causes of death in those who... read more
Rapid Diagnosis of MRSA
Current standard laboratory methods for detection of oxacillin resistance require for isolation, identification, and susceptibility testing at least 48–72 h, although the multiplex PCR assay used is a rapid, sensitive,... read more
Sepsis Around the Cradle of Humankind
While representing the cutting edge of civilization everywhere, mothers and their newborn infants are a population particularly vulnerable to sepsis.1 By recognizing the importance of antiseptic prophylaxis (handwashing),... read more
Drug-resistant Superbug Spreading in Hospitals
A superbug resistant to all known antibiotics that can cause "severe" infections or even death is spreading undetected through hospital wards across the world, scientists in Australia warned on Monday. Researchers at the... read more
MRSA Protocols – Methods in Molecular Biology
Presenting the most up-to-date techniques for the detection, genotyping, and investigation of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), this second edition of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Protocols collects... read more
Trends in Visits to Acute Care Venues for Treatment of Low-Acuity Conditions
From 2008 to 2015, total acute care utilization for the treatment of low-acuity conditions and associated spending per member in the United States increased, and utilization of non-ED acute care venues increased rapidly.... read more
New antibiotics and antimicrobial combination therapy for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections
Only few new molecules have an adequate activity against MDR gram-negative pathogens, especially carbapenemase-producer strains. Among these, ceftozolane/tazobactam has been recently approved for clinical use. Other compounds,... read more
Diagnosis and Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is less common than antibiotic-associated diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. There is significant concern about overdiagnosis and subsequent overtreatment of CDI with increasing use... read more
Comparison of Complication Rates of Central Venous Catheters Versus Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheters in Pediatric Patients
Rates of central line–associated bloodstream infection and venous thromboembolism were higher in hospitalized pediatric patients with peripherally inserted central catheters as compared to central venous catheters. Our... read more
Probiotic and Synbiotic Therapy in the Critically Ill
Recent medical history has largely viewed our bacterial symbionts as pathogens to be eradicated rather than essential partners in optimal health. However, one of the most exciting scientific advances in recent years has been... read more
Intensive care in severe malaria: Report from the task force on tropical diseases by the WFSICCM
Severe malaria is common in tropical countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South and Central America. It may also occur in travelers returning from endemic areas. Plasmodium falciparum accounts for most cases, although P... read more
