Infectious Disease Alert articles from April 2003

Infectious Disease Alert archives from April 2003

Laboratory diagnosis of HCV infection.(hepatitis C virus)
April 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Either a sensitive test for HCV RNA or a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) may be used to confirm the presence of HCV infection in an individual with a positive screening test. Source: CDC. Guidelines...

Disappearing antibiotics.
April 1, 2003... ABSTRACTS & COMMENTARY Synopsis: The discontinuation of manufacture of cefixime has implications for the treatment of gonorrhea and for the future of antibiotic therapy in general. Sources: CDC. Notice to Readers: Discontinuation of...

Mchelon keratitis after LASIK surgery.
April 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Ten patients undergoing LASIK procedures at a single laser surgery center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, suffered corneal infection due to Mycobacterium chelonae. Source: Freitas D, et al. An outbreak of...

Deflecting the post-antibiotic era.
April 1, 2003... MEETING COVERAGE Synopsis: The lack of new antibiotic development necessitates novel regulatory approaches. Source: www.fda.gov. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT WE MAY BE ENTERING into a "post-antibiotic era." Disaster has so far been...

Another test to consider in evaluating fever of unknown origin?
April 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Random skin biopsies may be helpful in establishing an etiology of fever of unknown origin. Source: Gill S, et al. Use of random skin biopsy to diagnose intravascular lymphoma presenting as fever of...

Cosmic radiation and frequent flyers.
April 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Data suggest a cancer risk associated with exposure of airline crews to cosmic radiation. Source: Aw JJ. J Travel Med. 2003;1O:19-28. THIS INTRIGUING ARTICLE EXPLORES THE ISSUE OF occupational...

Ebola of apes and men.
April 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: An outbreak of human Ebola virus infection in Congo was preceded by a die-off of great apes, with the virus having been recovered from some ape carcasses. Source: http://www.promedmail.org. AS OF...

CME Question.
April 1, 2003... Effective with this testing period, Infectious Disease Alert is changing its testing procedure. You will no longer need to return a Scantron answer sheet to earn credit for the activity. Please review the text, answer the following questions,...

Adefovir dipivoxil for hepatitis B. (Updates).
April 1, 2003... Source: Marcellin P, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:808-816. A DEFOVIR DIPIVOXIL (AD) HAS potent in vitro activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and has been shown to reduce viremia in preliminary studies. In this large multi-center study,...

Let's have a carpet picnic at your house? (Updates).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Rice EH, et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003;9: 1-6. MANY CASES OF NONTYPHOIDAL salmonellosis are believed to result from household contamination with Salmonella enterica, which increases with occupational exposure to the organisms (eg,...

Warfarin effectively prevents venous thromboembolism. (Pharmacology Watch).
April 1, 2003... Low intensity warfarin therapy effectively prevents recurrent venous thromboembolism, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. After a median of 6.5 months of full-dose anticoagulation therapy, 508 patients with...

Ice cream-evoked headaches study: a randomized trial of accelerated vs cautious eating. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Kaczorowski M, Kaczorowski J. BMJ. 2002;325:1445-1446. ICE CREAM HEADACHE (ICH) IS A COMMON-place phenomenon induced by ingestion of cold substances, of which ice cream is but one of many potential precipitants. The limited...

Treatment of antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction with sildenafil. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Nurnberg HG, et al. JAMA. 2003;289:56-64. SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION (SXD), WEIGHT gain, and sleep disturbance comprise as much as 75% of the adverse events that ultimately lead to antidepressant medication discontinuation. Of course,...

Prophylactic treatment of migraine with an angiotensin II receptor blocker. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Tronvik E, et al. JAMA. 2003;289:65-69. DESPITE THE VERY FAVORABLE effect of triptans upon migraine morbidity, a substantial population of persons either does not respond to, or chooses not to use, these agents. Expert advice has...

Syncope, driving recommendations, and clinical reality: survey of patients. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Maas R, et al. BMJ. 2003; 326:21. PATIENTS WHO SUFFER SYNCOPE DISORders, similarly to those who have seizures, are at increased risk for themselves and others when driving. Detailed guidance has been devised for clinicians to assist...

ACE + ARB for diabetic and hypersensitive neuropathy. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care).(ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-II receptor blockers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Nakao N, et al. Lancet. 2003;361:117-124. ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING-enzyme inhibitors (ACE) and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARB) have been demonstrated to provide significant benefits for persons with both diabetic and...

Action and efficacy of a combination of calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate in the treatment of psoriasis. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Source: Papp K, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;48:48-54. BOTH CALCIPOTRIENE (DOVONEX[R]) and topical steroids (STR) have been proven effective in management of psoriasis. Calcipotriene (CPT) has been demonstrated to be more effective than...

Adefovir dipivoxil treatment of chronic hepatitis due to HBV infection.(hepatitis B virus infection)
April 15, 2003... ABSTRACTS & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Adefovir dipivoxil, 10 mg p.o. daily, is safe and effective in the treatment of chronic hepatitis due to HBV, regardless of the presence or absence of HBeAg, and it did not select resistant mutants after 48...

More help with sepsis from biologics.
April 15, 2003... ABSTRACTS & COMMENTARY Synopsis: rhIL-11 given orally to neutropenic rats experimentally infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa appears to preserve the integrity of gut epithelia while resulting in fewer pathologic changes, lower levels of...

Avian influenza redux.
April 15, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Avian influenza virus has reemerged in Hong Kong and, independently, in The Netherlands, where it has caused conjunctivitis in poultry workers. Source: Promed archives at http://www.promedmail.org. ...

Tips on TIPS infections.(transjugular intrahepatic shunt device infection)
April 15, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: Infection of transjugular intrahepatic shunt devices is caused by a variety of bacteria, mostly of gastrointestinal origin. Inability to remove the device without hepatic transplantation makes management of...

Reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia rates through staff education.
April 15, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: A focused-education program was associated with a dramatic reduction in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Source: Zack JE, et al. Crit Care Med. 2002;11:2407-2412. THE PURPOSE OF THIS...

Rift in the Arabian Peninsula.(rift valley fever outbreak)
April 15, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Synopsis: The first outbreak of rift valley fever outside of Africa was associated with a high frequency of severe hepatic involvement and acute renal failure. Source: Al-Hazmi M, et al. Endemic rift valley fever...

CME questions.(continuing medical education )(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... Effective with this testing period, Infectious Disease Alert is changing its testing procedure. You will no longer need to return a Scantron answer sheet to earn credit for the activity. Please review the text, answer the following questions,...

Chloramphenicol-tainted honey. (Updates).(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... Source: ProMED-mail. July 13, 2002. promedmail@promedmail.org. IMPORTED HONEY IS BECOMING big business. With Third World labor costs being substantially lower, imported honey prices are driving down the costs of United States-produced honey...

Problems with Britain's pet scheme. (Updates).(elimination of quarantine rules for incoming pet dogs and cats causes problems)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2003... Source: Pro-MED mail. March 8, 2003. promedmail@promedmail.org. THE REVISED BRITISH PET TRAVEL Scheme (Kemper C. Infectious Disease Alert. 2003;10:80), which eliminated the need for quarantine of pet cats and dogs entering Great Britain...