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Rifaximin (Xifaxan) has rreceived US FDA approval on May 25, 2004, for the treatment of travelers diarrhea caused by enteropathogenic (non-invasive) Eschericiha coli in individuals at least 12 years of age. Rifaximin is a rifamycin that is poorly absorbed (< 0.4%) from the gastrointestinal tract, and thus achieves very high concentrations in the feces.
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Erythromycin use is associated with a 2-fold increased risk of sudden cardiac death and a 5-fold increase in those who concurrently receive other medications that significantly inhibit its metabolism by CYP3A4.
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Five days of oral treatment with azithromycin appeared to be at least as effective as a similar duration of treatment of treatment with ceftriaxone in children in Cairo with typhoid fever.
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Includes the following Articles: Improved Blood Donor Screening for WNV, Azithromycin Failure as Prophylaxis or Treatment of Syphilis, United Kingdom Cracks Down on Potential Blood Donors and Human and Feline Sporotrichosis in Rio.
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This summary of selected abstracts from 3 meetings is published in multiple parts. The 43rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) met in Chicago September 14-17, 2003. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) met in San Diego October 9-12, 2003. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene met in Philadelphia December 3-7, 2003.
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Human metapneumovirus was the likely cause of 12% of all lower respiratory tract illnesses among a population of 2009 children studied from 1976 to 2001 presenting with acute respiratory symptoms. Clinical manifestations of metapneumovirus infection were bronchiolitis (59%), croup (18%), pneumonia (8%), and exacerbation of asthma (14%).
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Receipt of vancomycin antedated isolation of MRSA with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin in 25 patients. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to vancomycin for many of these isolates. There are, in addition, a large number of antibiotics in the pipeline with activity against Gram-positive organisms.
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A formulary switch from levofloxacin to gatifloxacin as the preferred quinolone in a long-term care facility was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). A case-control study showed that duration of gatifloxacin was independently associated with illness. Switching back to levofloxacin was followed by a decrease in incidence of CDAD to prior levels.
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An antibiotic preparation meant for addition to animal feed was found to be contaminated with antibiotic resistance genes. Fortunately, the genes being used generally encode for resistance mechanisms that are already highly prevalent in gastrointestinal bacteria.
