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Infectious Diseases
Journal Watch condenses summaries of key research across specialties from more than 250 medical journals into concise yet comprehensive articles, incorporating clinical commentary from prominent physician-editors in the field.
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Featured Article
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Promiscuous Plasmid Implicated in a CRE OutbreakFree
- January 25, 2012
- Richard T. Ellison III, MD
In Virginia, a nosocomial outbreak of infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae was linked to wide horizontal transmission of a plasmid.
- Reviewing:
- Mathers AJ et al. mBio 2011 Nov 1; 2:e00204-11
Recent Infectious Diseases Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Preventing Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease
- January 25, 2012
- Mary E. Wilson, MD
In a phase IIB/III study conducted among adolescents in Chile, a multicomponent vaccine — 4CMenB — was immunogenic and safe.
- Reviewing:
- Santolaya ME et al. Lancet 2012 Jan 18
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Conjugate Vaccines Reduce Incidence of Antibiotic-Nonsusceptible IPD
- January 25, 2012
- Larry M. Baddour, MD
Incidence was markedly lower in 2007–2008 than in 1998–1999, before introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
- Reviewing:
- Hampton LM et al. J Infect Dis 2012 Feb 1; 205:401
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Influenza in Neurologically Compromised Patients
- January 25, 2012
- Stephen G. Baum, MD
An outbreak of influenza in patients with incapacitating neurological conditions caused severe infection, despite immunization.
- Reviewing:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2012 Jan 6; 60:1729
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Clean Your Scope!
- January 25, 2012
- Richard T. Ellison III, MD
Stethoscopes can readily transfer both Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
- Reviewing:
- Vajravelu RK et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012 Jan; 33:96
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Bone Fragility Does Indeed Mean More Fractures
- January 23, 2012
- Abigail Zuger, MD
- HIV/AIDS Clinical Care
A study in Denmark demonstrated an increased risk for osteoporotic fractures in HIV-infected patients and implicated antiretroviral therapy as a risk factor.
- Reviewing:
- Hansen A-BE et al. AIDS 2012 Jan 28; 26:285
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Dengue in U.S. Missionaries to HaitiFree
- January 18, 2012
- Mary E. Wilson, MD
Of 28 missionaries on a short trip to Haiti in October 2010, 7 developed dengue.
- Reviewing:
- Sharp TM et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012 Jan; 86:16
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Single-Dose Azithromycin Efficacious Against Yaws
- January 18, 2012
- Mary E. Wilson, MD
Among children with yaws in Papua New Guinea, oral azithromycin was noninferior to intramuscular penicillin at 6-month follow-up.
- Reviewing:
- Mitjà O et al. Lancet 2012 Jan 11
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
How Long Does Shedding of ESBL-Producing E. coli Persist?
- January 18, 2012
- Thomas Glück, MD
Five years of follow-up with 42 patients in Sweden revealed continued colonization in 5 patients and shedding for up to 39 months.
- Reviewing:
- Alsterlund R et al. Scand J Infect Dis 2012 Jan; 44:51
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
PPIs and CAP, Revisited
- January 18, 2012
- Neil M. Ampel, MD
In a retrospective, nested case-control study, the risk for community-acquired pneumonia was 29% higher with current use of a proton-pump inhibitor than with past use.
- Reviewing:
- Hermos JA et al. Clin Infect Dis 2012 Jan 1; 54:33
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Daptomycin for MRSA Bacteremia with a Borderline-High Vancomycin MIC?
- January 18, 2012
- Neil M. Ampel, MD
In a retrospective study, 60-day mortality was significantly lower among patients who received daptomycin than among those who received vancomycin.
- Reviewing:
- Moore CL et al. Clin Infect Dis 2012 Jan 1; 54:51
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Is HIV Becoming More Virulent?
- January 13, 2012
- By Helmut Albrecht, MD
- HIV/AIDS Clinical Care
A meta-analysis suggests that over the course of the epidemic, the mean virologic set point of HIV-infected patients has been increasing and the mean baseline CD4-cell count has been decreasing.
- Reviewing:
- AIDS 2012 Jan 14; 26:193
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Estimating HPV Transmission Rates
- January 10, 2012
- By Abigail Zuger, MD
- General Medicine
In a college-age crowd, heterosexual transmission was considerable.
- Reviewing:
- J Infect Dis 2011 Dec 1; 204:1723
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
When Parents Request Alternative Childhood Immunization Schedules: What's Your Comfort Level?Free
- January 4, 2012
- By Louis M. Bell, MD
- Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
In a survey of pediatricians, 60% were comfortable honoring such requests by parents.
- Reviewing:
- Pediatrics 2011 Dec; 128:1094
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Sexual Behavior and Routine HIV Testing in Older U.S. Adults
- January 5, 2012
- By Anna Wald, MD, MPH
- Women's Health
Blacks were most likely to be single or nonmonogamous; undergoing HIV testing was uncommon, especially among black women.
- Reviewing:
- Sex Transm Dis 2011 Dec; 38:1110
Journal Watch Infectious Diseases summarizes important medical journal articles about a wide variety of infectious disease subjects including antibiotic resistance, hepatitis, HIV, influenza, malaria, pneumonia, sepsis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis.
