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Infectious Disease

News, opinions and meeting coverage in infectious disease.

TB No Barrier to Anti-TNF Treatment

WASHINGTON -- Patients being treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors who develop tuberculosis may safely reinstitute their biologic before completing the lengthy TB treatment regimen, a retrospective study suggested.

Eating Before Lipid Test OK

It may not be necessary to fast before a routine cholesterol check, a large community-based population study suggested.

Meningitis: FDA Warns of 'Light Therapy' Claims

A Tennessee company made false claims that its "light therapy" has benefits for fungal meningitis, the FDA said.

Cardio Notes: Sex Improves with Stenting

Opening the arteries of those with stable coronary disease also opens the door to an improved sex life. Also this week, bariatric surgery helps remodel the heart.

Watchdog Group Wants Black Box on BP Meds

WASHINGTON -- The consumer watchdog group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to add a black box warning to three classes of hypertension drugs, cautioning against their combined use.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Came From Faucet

The recent cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis represent the first reported instances of U.S. tap water harboring the amoeba that causes the fatal disease, according to CDC researchers.

ACIP Changes Flu Vaccine Dosing for Kids

ATLANTA -- Two of the three strains covered by the seasonal influenza vaccine are changing for the upcoming season, and with that change comes a new dosing algorithm for children.

AMA: Trust but Verify Genetically Modified Foods

茂禄驴CHICAGO -- When it comes to genetically modified foods, the American Medical Association has adopted a "trust but verify" policy: the foods seem safe, but they still need to be checked out.

Toxic Shock from Strep: a 'Lightning Strike'

In rare cases, the bacteria responsible for causing strep throat -- group A Streptococcus -- can penetrate beyond the superficial surfaces of the body and lead to necrotizing fasciitis, toxic shock syndrome, and even death.

FDA Panel Says Yes to Home HIV Test

GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- An FDA advisory committee has voted 17-0 to recommend approval of the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test. If approved, it will be the first over-the-counter home HIV test.

FDA Staff Flags False Results of Home HIV Test

WASHINGTON -- FDA reviewers expressed concern over the risk of false negative and false positive results if the agency approved the first-ever over-the-counter at-home HIV test.

Kids Today Really Are Different

The adolescent phase in human development now lasts much longer than it once did, leading to a potential rise in risky behavior, including STDs and excessive drinking, researchers said.

Persistent Pus in Ear May Signal Unusual TB

SAN DIEGO -- Ear involvement is a rare, but potentially devastating, manifestation of tuberculosis, as was shown in a case report presented here.

Renal Function Key in C. Diff Therapy Choice

SAN DIEGO -- Patients with Clostridium difficile infection and underlying impaired renal function fared better with fidaxomicin treatment than with vancomycin, a researcher said here.

Urine Odor Signals UTI in Infants

Bad-smelling urine is a good predictor of urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants -- better than several other associated predictors, researchers found.

Antibiotic Clears Stubborn E. Coli

Patients in last spring's outbreak of severe Escherichia coli who were treated with azithromycin had a lower frequency of long-term infection, German investigators reported.

Interferon-Free Hepatitis C Tx Hits Snag

SEATTLE -- Results in a hard-to-treat patient population have clouded the future of a closely watched agent that acts against hepatitis C directly.

Circumcision Tied to Drop in Herpes, Too

SEATTLE -- African men who underwent circumcision not only reduced their risk of contracting HIV infection, they also were significantly less likely to be infected with herpes simplex virus-2, researchers reported here.

FDA Adds More Warnings for Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor

WASHINGTON -- Statins may cause drug-drug interactions for patients taking drugs to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, according to a new statin warning from the FDA.

Clinical Notes: Beware the Seat Heater

番茄社区 debuts a new regular feature, a roundup of clinical news you might otherwise have missed. This week we led with a report that heated car seats can leave passengers with "toasted skin syndrome."

H. Pylori Breath Test OK for Kids, FDA Says

A breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection available for adults may also be used in children and teens.

FDA Issues Warning on Acid Reflux Drugs

The FDA warned today that use of proton pump inhibitors -- including popular brands such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid -- may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

Herpes Drugs Work, but Not Forever

Anti-herpetic agents reduce recurrence of herpes simplex-2 (HSV-2) symptoms but do not completely block subclinical shedding of virus, even at high doses, researchers reported.

Post-Ear Tube MRSA Infections Not Serious

Among children with ear infections following tympanostomy tube placement, infections associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) did not result in worse outcomes than those caused by other pathogens, a single-center study showed.

'Brain-Eating' Amoeba Kills Second Neti Pot User

Louisiana state health officials are warning patients about potential dangers of using tap water for sinus irrigation after two patients died of Naegleria fowleri infection.

Breast Reduction Riskier After 50

Outcomes of breast reduction surgery worsen with age, with more infections and a tendency toward wound-healing problems in women older than 50, researchers found.

AMA Adopts Policies on Circumcision, Gun Safety

The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates has adopted a number of new policies at its interim meeting, including policies on male circumcision, physician discussion of gun safety, and a new medical coding system that will go into effect in 2013.

Airport Metal Detectors Safe for Pacemakers

Metal detector security screening appears safe for people with pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), researchers found.

Linezolid Toxic With Prozac, Other SSRIs, FDA Warns

The FDA has issued an updated statement on the potential for serious central nervous system toxicity when patients taking serotonergic psychiatric drugs are treated with the antibacterial agent linezolid (Zyvox).

Air Temp, Moisture Determine How Stuffy Nose Feels

Complaints of a "stuffy" nose may have as much to do with air temperature and humidity as with actual congestion of nasal passages, researchers said.

Teen Sex Down, Condom Use Up

The percentage of teens reporting that they have had sexual intercourse has continued a long-term decline and now stands at just over 40% for both adolescent men and women, according to CDC survey data from 2006 to 2010.

Calif. 12-Year-Olds Can Get HPV Vaccine Without Parental OK

Minors as young as 12 can consent to preventive measures against sexually transmitted diseases, including vaccination, according to a new California law that has sparked an outcry over parents' rights.

Septra, Bactrim Linked to 'Serious' Side Effects

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole -- a widely used antibiotic sold as Septra, Bactrim, and others -- has a set of adverse reactions that range from minor to potentially fatal, according to a literature review.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Claims Third Victim

A 9-year-old Virginia boy has died of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, the second case of the rare illness this month and the third this summer.

Clindamycin Works Better for Skin Infections in Kids

For children with skin and soft tissue infections, clindamycin is the antibiotic of choice for empiric treatment, researchers found.

Lab Notes: Red Wine Before Radiation and Red Clover for Hair Loss

Red is the color of the day, as components of red wine and red clover lead this week's Lab Notes, but the blues get their turn in the spotlight, too, as depressed people outshine cheerier folks in some elements of decision making.

ACTHIV: HIV HAART Therapy Urged for All

DENVER -- Universal treatment for today's HIV patients is "a real game-changer" that could dramatically slow transmission of the virus and the progress of the pandemic, according to Julio Montaner, MD, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Tetanus Rare but Still Deadly

Although rare, tetanus is still a life-threatening disease in the U.S., largely because of inadequate vaccination and wound care prophylaxis, CDC researchers said.

Japan Stops Some Vaccinations After Deaths

Japanese health officials have suspended the use of two pediatric vaccines as a precaution following the deaths of four young children, according to multiple media reports.

Cephalexin Useful in Pediatric MRSA

Children with uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections can still be treated with cephalexin -- along with drainage and careful wound care -- even though community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, a randomized study suggested.

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