Tag: infection
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
Effect of procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment on clinical outcomes in ICU patients with infection and sepsis patients
Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment in ICU patients with infection and sepsis patients results in improved survival and lower antibiotic treatment duration. Mortality in the 2252 procalcitonin-guided patients was significantly... read more
Dying as a Pathway to Death in Sepsis
Mortality from sepsis remains high, with at least 270,000 deaths annually in the United States and more than 5 million deaths worldwide. Despite increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis, outside of targeted... read more
NIH Researchers Discover Highly Infectious Vehicle for Transmission of Viruses Among Humans
Researchers have found that a group of viruses that cause severe stomach illness — including the one famous for widespread outbreaks on cruise ships — get transmitted to humans through membrane-cloaked "virus clusters"... read more
Timing of Infectious Disease Clinical Rotation Is Associated With Infectious Disease Fellowship Application
During a 7-year period, those interns randomly assigned to rotate on ID in the first 6 months of their intern year were more likely to become future ID applicants. This supports prior self-reported survey data that early... read more
How You Can Protect Your Parent From Delirium
Unlike dementia, which is constant and gets progressively worse, delirium tends to come and go, fluctuating even in the course of a day. The symptoms are transitory, yet for people who develop delirium, it can be the start... read more
Difficult-to-Treat Resistance in Gram-negative Bacteremia at 173 US Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Prevalence, Predictors, and Outcome of Resistance to All First-line Agents
Nonsusceptibility to first-line antibiotics is associated with decreased survival in GNBSIs. DTR is a simple bedside prognostic measure of treatment-limiting coresistance. The Premier Database was analyzed for inpatients... read more
Sepsis is a Preventable Public Health Problem
There is a paradigm shift happening for sepsis. Sepsis is no longer solely conceptualized as problem of individual patients treated in emergency departments and intensive care units but also as one that is addressed as public... read more
Association Between the New York Sepsis Care Mandate and In-Hospital Mortality for Pediatric Sepsis
In New York State following a mandate for sepsis care, completion of a sepsis bundle within 1 hour compared with not completing the 1-hour sepsis bundle within 1 hour was associated with lower risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality... read more
Pediatric Sepsis Care Within an Hour Decreases Chance of Death
More than one in 10 children hospitalized with sepsis die, but when a series of clinical treatments and tests is completed within an hour of its detection, the chances of survival increase considerably, according to a new... read more
Cryptococcus Neoformans Meningoencephalitis
A 36-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 2-week history of fever, headache, drowsiness, and photophobia. He was previously healthy and was sexually active with men. The physical examination was notable... read more
C. difficile risk raised by using same hospital bed as antibiotic-treated patient
Antibiotic use is associated with greater risk of Clostridium difficile infection, but according to a new study, you do not necessarily need to take antibiotics for them to pose such a risk. Researchers suggest just using... read more
Foleys Aren’t Fun: Patient Study Shows Catheter Risks
A new study puts large-scale evidence behind what many hospital patients already know: Having a urinary catheter may help empty the bladder, but it can hurt, lead to urinary tract infections, or cause other issues in the... read more
Immunotherapy for Sepsis: A Good Idea or Another Dead End?
THE treatment of sepsis remains an intractable problem in critical care. It has been called the “graveyard”1 for pharmaceutical companies in recognition of dozens of negative clinical trials; this reflects multiple distinct... read more
Decatecholaminisation during sepsis
While necessary and life-saving in the early fight or flight reaction to any insult, prolonged adrenergic stress is detrimental and contributes to organ dysfunction. In the largest trial to date, Morelli et al. enrolled septic... read more
Bacterial protein structure could aid development of new antibiotics
Bacterial cells have an added layer of protection, called the cell wall, that animal cells don't. Assembling this tough armor entails multiple steps, some of which are targeted by antibiotics like penicillin and vancomycin.... read more
Understanding Central Nervous System Efficacy of Antimicrobials
Defining the optimal treatment of Central Nervous System (CNS) infections is one of the most challenging tasks for the intensivists; the therapeutic window is narrow, and the alternative drug options more limited than with... read more
