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IDWeek 2021: Skipping Along with Staphylococcus aureus

A single set of blood cultures may be inadequate to document clearance of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in some patients.

IDWeek 2021: Gram-Negative Bacteremia: Are Follow-Up Blood Cultures Routinely Necessary?

A study of significantly immunocompromised patients with gram-negative bacteremia concluded that the routine use of follow-up blood cultures to document clearance is not warranted.

IDWeek 2021: Baricitinib for COVID-19 Patients Receiving Invasive Mechanical Ventilation or ECMO

Baricitinib significantly reduced mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Prophylactic Probiotics Do Not Reduce the Risk for Developing Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial revealed the use of prophylactic probiotics did not reduce the risk for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia or improve other outcomes for intensive care unit patients, compared to placebo.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Myocarditis

Receipt of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is associated with a small but real risk of development of myocarditis, predominantly in young males. The vast majority of cases are mild, self-limited, and require no intervention.

Infectious Disease Alert Updates

Pyrethroids losing activity against mosquitoes; Resistance erodes standard treatment for pneumonia; and homelessness and COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Testing in a Nursing Home Outbreak

Rapid antigen testing was accurate in detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigen when compared to polymerase chain reaction.

Well-Appearing Febrile Infants: New Guidelines for Evaluation and Management

New guidelines provide specific recommendations for the use of diagnostic testing, antimicrobial treatment, and ongoing care based on age for children between 8 and 60 days of age.

Adjuvanted Zoster Vaccine: Persistent Protection

The adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine efficacy is high and persistent, with apparent plateauing at > 84% four to six years after vaccination.

Environmental Shedding of MRSA Is Far Greater than from Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli

An observational cohort study revealed shedding of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by colonized patients outside hospital rooms or during outpatient clinic visits occurred more often than in those colonized by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli.