Infectious Diseases: Archives

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Assays for Invasive Fungal DiseaseFree

• November 18, 2009
• Neil M. Ampel, MD

Two new antigen-based tests show promise and could prove useful for immunocompromised patients.

• Reviewing:
• Maertens J et al., Clin Infect Dis 2009 Dec 1; 49:1688 Koo S et al., Clin Infect Dis 2009 Dec 1; 49:1650

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

L-AmB vs. D-AmB for Cryptococcal Meningitis in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients

• November 18, 2009
• Neil M. Ampel, MD

Ninety-day mortality was significantly better with lipid formulations of amphotericin B than with the deoxycholate formulation.

• Reviewing:
• Sun H-Y et al., Clin Infect Dis 2009 Dec 1; 49:1721

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Bait and Switch — Vaccinia Infection from Animal Rabies Vaccine

• November 18, 2009
• Stephen G. Baum, MD

Contact with liquid vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein recombinant virus vaccine, used to prevent rabies spread among animals, caused vaccinia infection in an immunocompromised woman.

• Reviewing:
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)., MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2009 Nov 6; 58:1204

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Lipid-Lowering Therapy in HIV-Infected Patients

• November 18, 2009
• Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD

Gemfibrozil levels are reduced by lopinavir/ritonavir coadministration, which may explain the difficulty in lowering triglycerides in HIV-infected patients.

• Reviewing:
• Busse KH et al., J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2009 Oct 1; 52:235

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Pneumococcal DNA Load in CAP

• November 10, 2009
• Larry M. Baddour, MD

The Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA load in blood may have both diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

• Reviewing:
• Peters RPH et al., J Clin Microbiol 2009 Oct; 47:3308

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Background Events and Mass VaccinationFree

• November 10, 2009
• Mary E. Wilson, MD

Knowledge about background rates of disease events is needed to assess events temporally related to vaccination.

• Reviewing:
• Black S et al., Lancet 2009 Oct 31 DeStefano F and Tokars J., Lancet 2009 Oct 31

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections of the Cheek

• November 4, 2009
• Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Researchers describe a series of seven children with such infections. Recovery took many months, and clarithromycin did not seem to hasten resolution.

• Reviewing:
• Haimi-Cohen Y et al., J Pediatr 2009 Nov; 155:746

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Hepatitis E Outbreak Among Cruise Ship Passengers

• November 4, 2009
• Mary E. Wilson, MD

Overall, 4% of passengers returning from a 3-month world cruise tested positive for recent HEV infection; one third of these individuals had symptomatic hepatitis.

• Reviewing:
• Said B et al., Emerg Infect Dis 2009 Nov; 15:1738

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Acetaminophen After Vaccination Reduces Antibody ResponseFree

• November 4, 2009
• Mary E. Wilson, MD

Prophylactic doses of acetaminophen given after vaccination reduce fever but blunt antibody response to multiple antigens.

• Reviewing:
• Prymula R et al., Lancet 2009 Oct 17; 374:1339 Chen RT et al., Lancet 2009 Oct 17; 374:1305

DRUG WATCH

Peramivir for Treatment of 2009 H1N1 Influenza

• November 4, 2009
• Lynn Estes, PharmD

Responding to a CDC request, the FDA authorized the emergency use of this investigational agent in critically ill patients.

• Reviewing:
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)., 2009 Oct 24 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)., 2009 Oct 23 Birnkrant D and Cox E., N Engl J Med 2009 Nov 2