Browse Infectious Disease General Articles by Topic

Parvovirus and Increasing Danger in Pregnancy and Sickle Cell Disease

The incidence of human parvovirus B19 infection is increasing in the United States, putting vulnerable groups at risk of serious complications.

Oseltamivir for Adults Hospitalized with Influenza: Earlier Is Better

A multicenter observational study on adults hospitalized with influenza found that initiation of oseltamivir on the day of admission reduced the risk of disease progression, including pulmonary and extra-pulmonary organ failure and death.

Usefulness of Pyuria to Diagnose UTI in Children

Of 4,188 children aged 1 to 36 months screened for urinary tract infection (UTI) in emergency departments, 407 (9.7%) had a culture-positive UTI. Pyuria (by various means of assessment) was not present in 20% of febrile children with a UTI, raising questions about the validity of using pyuria as a necessary component or as a tool for the diagnosis of UTI in young children.

Artemisinin-Resistant Malaria in Uganda

Partial resistance to artesunate was seen in 11% of young children hospitalized with complicated malaria, mostly due to the Pfkelch13 A675V genetic variation. Affected children demonstrated delayed initial parasite clearance and then suboptimal efficacy 28 days following initiation of treatment with parenteral artesunate followed by oral artemether-lumefantrine.

Infectious Disease Updates

Is Your Hospital Bed Contaminated? The Surgical Skin Prep Debate Thickens

Outpatient CAP Treatment in Adults: Narrower Spectrum Therapy Is Better Tolerated

Examination of a large database led to the conclusion that treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in outpatients with narrower-spectrum agents (macrolides or doxycycline) was associated with similar clinical outcomes but with a lower incidence of adverse effects when compared to broader-spectrum therapy.

Parasites and Poverty in the South

Parasite contamination of soil remains prevalent in some areas of the southern United States.

Aztreonam-Avibactam vs. Meropenem for Serious Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections

In this multinational, prospective, Phase III, randomized trial, aztreonam-avibactam was found to be a safe and effective option, when compared to meropenem with or without colistin, for treating complicated intra-abdominal infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and ventilator-acquired pneumonia caused by gram-negative bacteria.

Effectiveness of Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

A study that compared nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, remdesivir, or a combination of both for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 found those who received nirmatrelvir-ritonavir monotherapy had lower mortality, reduced intensive care unit admission, and reduced need for mechanical ventilation.

Pink Eye: Do Antibiotics Matter?

Acute infectious conjunctivitis, commonly referred to as pink eye, is common in children and is caused by bacteria more often than by viruses. Nonetheless, neither the clinical course of uncomplicated cases nor the spread of infection to peers is significantly altered by treatment with topical antibiotics or by exclusion of infected children from daycare and school settings.