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Infection Control

News, opinions and meeting coverage in hospital-based medicine.

Ebola Diary: On the Ground in Sierra Leone, Part 5

Last installment in a CDC fellow's account of her experiences tracking the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa.

Case Study: Fecal Transplant Clears K. Pneumoniae

Treatment of teenage girl suggests another use for fecal microbiota transplant.

Azithromycin Linked to Belly Blockage in Infants

WASHINGTON -- Infants who received azithromycin (Zithromax) in the early days of life were at an increased risk for developing infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS), researchers reported here.

C. diff. Differs by Season and Region

WASHINGTON -鈥� March is the month when hospitals see more Clostridium difficile infections, and the Northeast is the region that leads the nation in the difficult to treat infection, researchers reported here.

Ebola Response: Slowed by a 'Perfect Storm' of Setbacks

WASHINGTON -- The world was taken by surprise by the West Africa Ebola outbreak and has been scrambling ever since to catch up, with many setbacks and only a few bright spots in the picture, international experts said at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Vancomycin May Protect Against C. Diff Recurrence

WASHINGTON -- Prophylaxis with oral vancomycin (Vancocin) appeared to protect at-risk patients from experiencing a recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection, researchers reported here.

Antibiotics No Help After Gallbladder Surgery

Postoperative antibiotics after gallbladder removal do not reduce the risk of infection, researchers reported.

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.

MRSA Implicated in Majority of Post-Facelift Infections

NEW YORK -- Although surgical-site infections after face-lift procedures are uncommon, those that occur are usually caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, making them difficult to treat.