Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for September 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Doctors, Patients Identify Tacit Clues in Their Interactions
FRIDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Both doctors and patients identify tacit clues as well as judgments based on these clues during video elicitation interviews of health maintenance examinations, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
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Illness Associated With HEV68 Seen in Clusters Globally
THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Human enterovirus 68 (HEV68), rarely reported since it was first identified in the early 1960s, has recently been seen in disease clusters around the world, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Surveillance Info Sheds Light on Utah's Influenza Patterns
THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The United States was hard hit by the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus, and Utah experienced a particularly high proportion of severe illness compared with previous influenza seasons, particularly among certain subsets of the population, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Child Face Mask Approved to Help Prevent Spread of Germs
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A child-size, single-use face mask to help prevent the spread of germs in hospitals and other health care settings has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Immune Globulin Therapy Has No Benefit for Neonatal Sepsis
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Infants with suspected or proven sepsis treated with intravenous immune globulin have no significant difference in outcomes compared to those receiving a placebo, according to a study published in the Sept. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine More Cost-Effective Than Bivalent
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Due to different efficacy and protection offered by the bivalent and quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, the bivalent vaccine would need to be cheaper than the quadrivalent in order to be equally cost-effective, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in BMJ.
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U.S. Docs Feel They Give More Patient Care Than Required
TUESDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Many primary care physicians in the United States believe that their patients are receiving too much medical care, and that the pressure to do more than is necessary could be reduced by malpractice reform, adjusting financial incentives, and spending more time with patients, according to a study published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Reasons for Referral to Specific Docs Differ Among Physicians
TUESDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Primary care physicians (PCPs) and medical and surgical specialists differ in their reasons for selecting specific colleagues for referrals, with PCPs more concerned about physician communication and medical record sharing than specialists, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Tdap Safe After Tetanus-, Diphtheria-Containing Products
MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The use of tetanus toxoid, reduced-content diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) is safe, with no excess reactogenecity and no need for caution regarding Tdap use within any interval of a tetanus- or diphtheria-containing toxoid product, according to a policy statement published online Sept. 26 in Pediatrics.
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Point-of-Care CD4 Counting Cuts Loss of Follow-Up in HIV
MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid immunological staging by point-of-care counting of CD4 cells in patients with HIV reduces loss to follow-up before initiating antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in The Lancet.
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Hospitalization, Complication Risk Up After Prostate Biopsy
FRIDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Men who undergo prostate biopsy have nearly double the risk of hospitalization within 30 days versus those who do not, and the rate of infectious complications after prostate biopsy has increased in recent years, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in The Journal of Urology.
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FDA Expands Age Indication for Boostrix
THURSDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the age indications for Boostrix, the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), to include people 65 and older, according to an article published in the Sept. 23 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction Cut Health Care Use, Costs
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Since the introduction of rotavirus vaccine (RV5) in 2006, diarrhea-related health care utilization and medical expenditures for U.S. children younger than 5 years old decreased considerably in the rotavirus seasons, according to a study published in the Sept. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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2006/2007 U.S. Flu Vaccination Policy Lowers Morbidity
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The 2006/2007 influenza vaccination policy change in the United States to include healthy children aged 24 to 59 months has reduced influenza morbidity in the United States, as evident by reduction in the emergency department visits in the United States versus Canada, according to a study published in the Sept. 20 issue of the CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Mortality Up in Hospitals With More Minority Trauma Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The odds of in-hospital mortality for trauma patients are associated with the proportion of minority patients in the hospital, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in the Archives of Surgery.
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Work Intensity Similar Across Physician Specialties
MONDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The level of physician work intensity appears to be similar among specialties, with variations in the specific dimensions of stress, physical demands, performance, and temporal demand, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Medical Care.
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Fluoroquinolones Up Risk of Post-Biopsy Acute Prostatitis
FRIDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In patients who undergo transrectal prostate biopsy, prior use of fluoroquinolones is the most significant risk factor for developing post-procedure acute prostatitis, according to a study published in the September issue of Urology.
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CDC: MRSA USA300 Strain Resistant to Topical Antibiotics
FRIDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Most methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates are susceptible to bacitracin, but MRSA USA300 isolates show resistance to bacitracin and neomycin, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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CDC: Risk Factors ID'd in Most C. difficile Diarrhea Cases
THURSDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of patients with diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) have recognized risk factors or a co-infection with another pathogen, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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CDC: Recent Influenza Activity Relatively Low
THURSDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza activity was relatively low worldwide over the summer of 2011, but vaccination remains an important criteria for keeping influenza under control and preventing potentially serious, even fatal, complications, according to two articles published in the Sept. 16 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Women Older Than 50 Years Aware of Sexual Health Risks
THURSDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Sexually active women over the age of 50 years are aware of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but are hesitant to consult their physicians for health information, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
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Malaria Vaccine Does Not Protect Against Clinical Malaria
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The malaria vaccine, FMP 2.1/AS02A, based on apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) from the 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum does not provide significant protection against clinical malaria, but may have strain-specific efficacy against parasites with AMA1 corresponding to that of the vaccine strain, according to a study published in the Sept. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Reduced Treatment Time Noninferior for Some With Hep C
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Sustained virologic response for some patients who have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) was found to be noninferior when treating for 24 weeks versus 48 weeks, according to a study published in the Sept. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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IBS, Chronic Fatigue Risk Up Three Years Post Giardiasis
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Three years after acute illness with Giardia lamblia, the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic fatigue is significantly higher than in a control population, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in Gut.
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Many Mistakenly Believe FDA OKs Only Safe, Effective Drugs
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of the U.S. public mistakenly believes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves only effective and safe drugs, but providing consumer explanations can lead to better drug choices, according to a study published in the Sept. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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No Benefit of Long-Term Azithromycin for Rhinosinusitis
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with persistent chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), low-dose, long-term treatment with azithromycin (AZM) for 11 weeks offers no significant benefit, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Allergy.
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Intrauterine Device Use Tied to Lower Cervical Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Intrauterine device (IUD) use is associated with a lower risk of cervical cancer, but the protective association is not seen in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive women, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in The Lancet Oncology.
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CDC Emphasizes Importance of Flu Vaccine for Pregnant Women
THURSDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza can result in dire outcomes for pregnant women and their newborns; proper vaccination and early treatment are critical for optimizing maternal and offspring health, according to a report published in the Sept. 9 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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MRSA Colonization Ups Future Infection Risk in Children
THURSDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Children with colonizations of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on admission to hospital have an increased risk of subsequent MRSA infection, according to a study published online Aug. 29 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Trends in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Seasonality Reported
THURSDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In most of the United States, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season starts in the fall and continues through early spring, but more specific timing varies regionally; an understanding of seasonal trends can help guide decision making around diagnostic testing and the administration of prophylaxis, according to a report published in the Sept. 9 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Comparative Efficacy Proposed for European Drug Approval
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- New drugs should be compared with existing treatments instead of placebo before their approval in Europe, according to a report published online Sept. 6 in the BMJ.
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FDA Announces Label Change to Warnings for TNFα Blockers
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Labels for all tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) blockers have been revised to include the risk of infection from Legionella and Listeria, according to a safety alert issued Sept. 7 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Malaria Predisposes Kenyan Children to Bacteremia
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Malaria strongly predisposes children to the development of bacteremia in Kenya, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in The Lancet.
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Medical Students Show Racial, Cultural Patient Preference
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Medical students may have a preferential bias toward whites and wealthier patients, but this does not appear to influence their clinical decision making or physician-patient interactions, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Odds of Board Certification Vary in New Doctors
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Certification of recent U.S. medical school graduates by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) varies across specialties by educational and demographic factors, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Many Hospital Staff Uniforms Contaminated With Bacteria
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- More than 60 percent of hospital staff uniforms are contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria, including drug-resistant species, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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Immunoadsorption Therapy Effective in E. coli-Induced HUS
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Immunoadsorption of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies can safely be used to treat neurological complications in patients with Escherichia coli (E. coli) O104:H4-induced hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), according to a study published online Sept. 5 in The Lancet.
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Cases of Transfusion-Linked Babesiosis in U.S. Described
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- From 1979 to 2009, 159 Babesia microti (B. microti) transfusion-associated cases of Babesiosis were identified in the United States, and occurrence was not limited by season or region, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Vaccine Rates Increase Among Children Aged 11 to 12 Years
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Vaccine compliance at ages 11 to 12 years has increased among children, but they often do not receive all indicated vaccines during vaccination visits, according to a study published in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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AAP Updates Guidelines for 2011 to 2012 Influenza Control
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Annual universal influenza immunization, with special
outreach efforts made to vaccinate people in certain high-risk groups, is recommended to prevent influenza in children during the 2011 to 2012 season, according to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published online Sept. 2 in Pediatrics.
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Flu Diagnostic Kit Approved
FRIDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A kit to diagnose human infections with seasonal influenza viruses and novel influenza A viruses with pandemic potential has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Antibiotic Prescriptions Down for Pediatric Patients
FRIDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of antibiotic prescriptions flowing from pediatric offices has dropped by nearly a quarter since 1993, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this is not enough to address the problem of antibiotic resistance in the United States, according to a report published in the Sept. 2 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Pediatric Vaccination Rates High in United States
THURSDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Overall vaccination rates in children are high and have remained stable or have increased since 2009, though disparities persist among the economically underprivileged, according to a report published in the Sept. 2 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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