Infectious Disease Alert articles from February 2004

Infectious Disease Alert archives from February 2004

Adjunct dexamethasone therapy for hematogenous suppurative arthritis.(Abstract & Commentary)
February 1, 2004... Synopsis: Short-course (4 days) adjunct dexamethasone therapy for hematogenous suppurative arthritis in children shortened the duration of symptoms during the acute phase and reduced residual dysfunction at the end of therapy, and at 6 and 12...

Treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia: longer is not better.(Abstract & Commentary)
February 1, 2004... Synopsis: Antibiotic administration for only 8 days to patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia was not inferior to 15 days of therapy. ********** Source: Chastre J, et al. Comparison of 8 vs 15 days of antibiotic therapy for...

Do isolation precautions for MRSA compromise patient care?(Abstract & Commentary)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
February 1, 2004... Synopsis: As determined by process of care measurement, adverse event occurrence, and patient satisfaction, quality of care is compromised by infection control procedures. Source: Stelfox HT, et al. Safety of patients isolated for...

A comeback for colistin?(Abstract & Commentary)
February 1, 2004... Synopsis: The 50-year-old drug colistin was used successfully in 14 of 23 cases of serious infections caused by multiply resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Source: Linden PK, et al. Use of parenteral colistin for the treatment of serious...

ICAAC/IDSA/ASTMH 2003.(Conference Coverage)(Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy )(Infectious Disease Society of America )(American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene )
February 1, 2004... The following summary of selected abstracts from 3 meetings will be published in multiple parts. The 43rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) met in Chicago September 1417, 2003. The Infectious Disease...

CME questions.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... 5. Patients isolated for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection or colonization experienced all but which one of the following negative consequences? a. Preventable adverse effects, such as falls and pressure ulcers b....

The softer side of fluoroquinolones.(Updates)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Johnstone TBC, et al. Nature Medicine. 2004;10:31-32. OBSERVING THAT SOME FLUOROQUINOLONES are associated with a lower incidence of seizures and anxiety, pharmacologists from California and the United Kingdom successfully modified...

Cycloserine for phobics?(Updates)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Pilcher HR. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. November 2003. EARLIER STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that D-cycloserine (DCS), a drug occasionally used to treat tuberculosis, allowed rats to overcome previously learned fears. Behavioral...

115-year-old smallpox scabs--a literary find.(Updates)
February 1, 2004... Source: ProMED-mail post. January 2, 2004. promed@promedmail.org. A LIBRARIAN AT THE SANTE FE Fogelson College Library made the surprise discovery of a sealed envelope containing what appear to be 115-year-old smallpox vaccination scabs....

Positive PPDs due to M marinum infection.(Updates)(Paraphenylene-Diamine)(Mycobacterium marinum)
February 1, 2004... Source: Lewis FM, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2003;37:390-397. Mycobacterium marinum, ORIGINALLY isolated from dead fish in 1926, is a well-recognized cause of soft-tissue infection in persons with contact with swimming pools and fish tanks....

Cost-effectiveness of influenza treatment.(Updates)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Rothberg MB, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:321-329. USING DECISION ANALYSIS, THE cost-effectiveness of rapid diagnostic testing and antiviral therapy for influenza-like illness was evaluated in older adults (older than 65). The...

Valacyclovir reduces genital herpes transmission.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A once-a-day dose of a valacyclovir reduces the rate of transmission of genital herpes (HSV-2) from an infected partner to an uninfected susceptible partner, according to a new study. The study group included 1484 immuno-competent,...

Erythropoietin safe for cancer patients?(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A fascinating news item published in the December 17 issue of Journal of the National Cancer Institute raises the question of whether erythropoietin is safe to use in cancer patients. According to the news report, several studies suggest that...

WHI, ALLHAT trials still spur research.(Women's Health Initiative)(Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... It appears that 2 landmark studies have significantly changed practice patterns in this country. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study published in July 2002, and the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack...

Alpha-blockers useful in BPH treatment.(benign prostatic hyperplasia )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Alpha-blockers are useful in treatment with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Now a new study shows that the combination of the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride (Proscar) with an alpha-blocker may be superior to either drug alone in...

T4 alone is OK for hyperthyroidism therapy.(thyroxine)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Hypothyroidism is one of the most common clinical disorders in general practice. Controversy about replacement therapy has raged for years regarding the need for liothyronine (T3) in addition to thyroxine (T4). A new study from Bethesda...

FDA ban on ephedra awaits final ruling.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The FDA has issued a consumer alert, banning the dietary supplement ephedra. The ban will become effective 60 days after the publication of a final rule stating that dietary supplements containing ephedra represents an unreasonable risk of...

Sulfonamide antibiotics and sulfonamide nonantibiotics.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Strom BL, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1628-1635. SULFONAMIDE ANTIBIOTICS (SULF-a) are the drugs most commonly associated with both the dread consequences of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and agranulocystosis. More commonly, clinicians...

Autoantibodies before onset of SLE.(Systemic lupus erythematosus)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Arbuckle MR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1526-1533. THE DIAGNOSIS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS erythematous (SLE) is based, in part, upon laboratory findings, including measurement of autoantibodies (AAB) such as antinuclear antibody (ANA),...

Prevention of VTE with ximelagatran.(venous thromboembolism)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Schulman S, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1713-1721. TYPICALLY, AFTER A FIRST EPISODE OF DVT, prophylaxis will be advised for 3-6 months, although recent data show no diminution of benefit when war-farin prophylaxis for recurrent...

Combined levothyroxine plus liothyronine compared to levothyroxine alone in primary hypothyroidism.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Clyde PW, et al. JAMA. 2003;290:2952-2958. PRIOR TO SOPHISTICATED DEVELOPMENT of drug therapy, thyroid hormone was administered as a derivative of animal thyroid glands, with varying amounts of T3 and T4. Currently, although...

Specific site involvement in fixed drug eruption.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Ozkaya-Bayazit E. J Am Acad Derm. 2003;49:1003-1007. FIXED DRUG ERUPTION (FDE) IS THE recurrent presentation of cutaneous drug allergy manifest at the same local site. In the United States, the glans penis is one of the most common...

Anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Source: Go AS, et al JAMA. 2003;290:2685-2692. THERE IS LITTLE CHALLENGE TO THE credibility of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (SPAF) as demonstrated in numerous large clinical trials. Nonetheless, clinicians...

Influenza update: focus on children.
February 1, 2004... From October 2003 to Jan. 9, 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of 93 influenza-associated deaths among children younger than 18 years. The demands the annual flu season places on emergency department...

Physician CME questions.
February 1, 2004... 1. Gastrointestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea occur in how many children with influenza? A. Approximately 24% B. More than 50% C. More than 75% D. Almost all 2. The findings of a Texas study with a 50%...