Infectious Disease Alert 2005-09-01

Kingella kingae Skeletal Infections in Children

Two definite (culture-confirmed), and one probable, cases of K. kingae invasive disease were reported in Minnesota in October 2003, among children attending the same toddler classroom of a childcare center.

Metronidazole: Still First-Line Therapy for Antibiotic-Associated Colitis?

Musher and colleagues followed 207 patients with C. difficile colitis treated with appropriate (at least 1.5 gm/day) doses of metronidazole for at least 7 days. All patients had a positive stool ELISA assay for C. difficile toxin.

Tigecycline (Tygacil)

Over the past decade, there has been growing concern about the magnitude of antimicrobial resistance, particularly among gram-positive organisms such as penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant staphylococci, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

Invasion of the Probiotics: Iatrogenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fungemia

Saccharomyces boulardii (recently recognized as a strain of S. cerevisiae rather than a distinct species) is widely used as a probiotic for the treatment of diarrhea and for the prevention and treatment of C. difficile-associated colitis.

Inhibition of Daptomycin By Pulmonary Surfactant

The FDA has recently approved daptomycin for use in skin and skin-structure infections, but this antibiotic failed the test of non-inferiority in a trial of severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Updates by Carol A Kemper

The FDA has issued a public Health Advisory regarding the identification of 4 cases of toxic shock following medical abortion with Mifepristone (formerly RU-486) and intravaginal misoprostol in the United States.

Pharmacology Watch: Beta-Blockers May Be Useful for Noncardiac Surgery

Promising New Weight Loss Drug?; Treating Shift-Work Disorder; Another Flu Vaccine Shortage?; FDA Actions

Clinical Briefs in Primary Care supplement

Infectious Disease Alert – September 1, 2005

September 1, 2005