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Infectious Disease Alert Updates

Intestinal Yeast Revisited — With a New Angle; Preemptive Steroids for TB/HIV Treatment; Fluoroquinolone for Exposure to Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Cystic Fibrosis — An Unfortunate Failure

The results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of respiratory isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis failed to predict outcomes of antibiotic therapy.

Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection: Better Outcomes With Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Than With Antibiotics

Relative to vancomycin or metronidazole treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, treatment with fecal microbiota transplantation is associated with a reduced risk of bloodstream infection, shorter hospital length of stay, and improved survival.

Fatal Bacteremia Due to Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

Two patients developed bacteremia due to an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli that had been transmitted to them via stool transplantation.

Uninfected Children Exposed Prenatally to HIV Exhibit Language Delays

In South Africa, uninfected children exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exhibit delays in receptive and expressive language at 24 months compared to non-HIV-exposed children.

Colonization With Clostridioides difficile Frequently Leads to a Misdiagnosis of Healthcare-Associated Infection

A prospective cohort study from a single institution found 27% of patients diagnosed with healthcare-associated C. difficile infection were colonized with the same isolate on admission.

Combination Therapy With Daptomycin Plus Beta-Lactam Antibiotics in MSSA Bacteremia

In a retrospective cohort study of 350 patients, the combination of a beta-lactam antibiotic plus daptomycin was not superior to beta-lactam monotherapy in patients with bacteremia due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus.

Early Dexmedetomidine Provides Similar 90-Day Mortality Compared to Usual Care in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Adults

When the early use of continuous infusion dexmedetomidine was compared to usual care for sedation in mechanically ventilated critically ill adults, there was no difference in 90-day mortality. Dexmedetomidine may not be an ideal sedative for mechanically ventilated critically ill adults requiring deeper sedation, although its use may result in greater ventilator-free, coma-free, or delirium-free days.

Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Cirrhosis

Acute kidney injury and hepatorenal syndrome are common conditions found in patients with cirrhosis, due to the systemic vasodilation and systemic inflammation frequently found in this population.

Anticoagulation Decisions in Atrial Fibrillation

Using the Delphi method of arriving at a consensus among clinicians concerning to whom with atrial fibrillation to recommend oral anticoagulants, the risk of stroke, the risk of hemorrhage, and patient-specific factors emerged. Many of these factors are not included in the guidelines and should be studied further.