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Infection Control

News, opinions and meeting coverage in critical care.

Testosterone Level Affects Flu Shot Response

Men with high testosterone and a certain genetic cluster may not experience an antibody response after a flu shot, researchers suggested -- a finding that could affect men taking prescription testosterone.

N.H. Hospital May Have Exposed Patients to CJD

Health officials in New Hampshire said eight neurosurgery patients at one hospital in the state may have been unwittingly exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

CDC: Cut Back on Doxycycline Use

A continuing shortage of doxycycline means the drug should be used only for conditions that have no alternative treatments, the CDC advised this week.

'Latex-Free' Claims Not Valid, FDA Says

The claim "latex-free鈥� is impossible to guarantee and should not be used on labeling of medical products, according to a new FDA guidance.

No Need for Skin Preps to Be Sterile, FDA Told

WASHINGTON -- Requiring that antiseptic skin preparation products be sterile is unnecessary and wouldn't lead to a dramatic drop in infections, speakers told the FDA Wednesday.

C. Difficile Inpatient Stays Long, Costly

LAS VEGAS -- Among the many factors that contribute to the burgeoning costs associated with Clostridium difficile infections are long hospital stays, particularly in intensive care units, and the need for multiple specialist consultations, a chart review determined.

FDA to Look at Tainted Skin Preps

Antiseptic skin preparation products can be contaminated by microbes, a problem the FDA will address at an upcoming public hearing.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Came From Faucet

The recent cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis represent the first reported instances of U.S. tap water harboring the amoeba that causes the fatal disease, according to CDC researchers.

Renal Function Key in C. Diff Therapy Choice

SAN DIEGO -- Patients with Clostridium difficile infection and underlying impaired renal function fared better with fidaxomicin treatment than with vancomycin, a researcher said here.

'Brain-Eating' Amoeba Kills Second Neti Pot User

Louisiana state health officials are warning patients about potential dangers of using tap water for sinus irrigation after two patients died of Naegleria fowleri infection.

Breast Reduction Riskier After 50

Outcomes of breast reduction surgery worsen with age, with more infections and a tendency toward wound-healing problems in women older than 50, researchers found.

Linezolid Toxic With Prozac, Other SSRIs, FDA Warns

The FDA has issued an updated statement on the potential for serious central nervous system toxicity when patients taking serotonergic psychiatric drugs are treated with the antibacterial agent linezolid (Zyvox).

Clindamycin Works Better for Skin Infections in Kids

For children with skin and soft tissue infections, clindamycin is the antibiotic of choice for empiric treatment, researchers found.

Failure High in Needle Aspiration of Skin Abscesses

Ultrasonographically guided needle aspiration -- a minimally invasive treatment for uncomplicated superficial skin abscesses -- has a failure rate of almost three in four, researchers reported.

This Frog Is No Prince

Water frogs appear to be responsible for yet another Salmonella outbreak in the U.S., CDC researchers say.

Unmasking the Surgical Mask: Does It Really Work?

For a century, the surgical mask has been the symbol of a safe and sanitary medical environment. The problem is that researchers don't really know if that's true.

ICAAC: Surgical Masks Don't Prevent Infection

SAN FRANCISCO -- Consistent use of N95 respirator masks prevents 75% of respiratory infections for high-risk healthcare workers regardless of whether seal against the skin is confirmed, according to the first randomized clinical trial of their efficacy.

Seasonal Flu Starts in Asia and Migrates Throughout World

CAMBRIDGE, England -- Seasonal influenza starts in east and southeast Asia and follows a highly predictable path to infect the rest of the world, researchers here said.