Kenneth Bender, PharmD, MA

Results from the global SNAP trial find penicillin as effective as, and safer than, cloxacillin or flucloxacillin for penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Results from the SNAP global trial find cefazolin as effective and safer than the antistaphylococcal penicillins cloxacillin or flucloxacillin for methicillin-sensitive S aureus bacteremia.

Investigational mRNA influenza vaccine prompts broader immune response than conventional vaccines, with activity against multiple strains.

An FDA advisory committee voted unanimously to recommend mRNA-1010 for approval, after the Agency initially refused to review the application and HHS cancelled contracts supporting mRNA vaccine development.

One in five patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection achieved functional cure in two phase 3 trials with the investigational agent.

Meta-analysis finds approximately 1% of well-appearing outpatient infants aged 60 to 90 days with fever have an invasive bacterial infection.

New data on flu vaccine for children counter the contention that a lack of contemporaneous randomized data justifies its removal from recommended annual immunizations.

Effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with doxycycline for chlamydia and syphilis comes with increase in resistant gonorrhea.

Modeling of the ACIP recommendation to replace universal birth-dose HepB vaccination with vaccination based on "shared decision" and maternal status shows substantially more maternal screening or vaccinating infants of unscreened mothers will be necessary to mitigate increase in infections.

A 5-day course of nitrofurantoin was found superior to single-dose fosfomycin for uncomplicated UTI in women, prompting investigators to recommend choosing efficacy over convenience.

Universal childhood immunizations should continue to include hepatitis A to avoid reversing 3 decades of progress toward eliminating the infection, say contributors to the previous, long-standing CDC guidance.

Mortality rates from treatment-resistant gram-negative infections remain high despite increased use of newer antibiotics and corresponding susceptibility testing.

Real-world data suggest that 3 to 4 days of antibiotics can be as effective as 5 or more days in treating community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized patients.

Study ascertains vaccination status of children hospitalized for Bordetella pertussis infections and assesses diagnostic value of testing modalities.

Study examines how clinicians consider rapid pneumonia panel test results in prescribing antibiotics in the ICU.

Investigators identified behavioral determinants of being tested for pathogen exposure, in interviewing a focus group presented with a hypothetical avian influenza outbreak.

Increased rapid antigen diagnostic testing for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in pediatric outpatients was associated with fewer antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections.

Tapering vancomycin over 2 weeks after a 2-week full dose regimen for Clostridioides difficile reduced the rate of infection recurrence.

An increase in cases of blastomycosis in upstate New York over the past decade suggests it is becoming endemic, although it is not yet a reportable infection.

The rate of HBV vaccination of newborns in the US has declined by over 10% in the past 2 years, reversing decades of increasing coverage.

Despite increased risk for severe outcomes, most older adults and those with comorbidities do not receive antiviral treatment for COVID-19.

Ceftolozane-tazobactam cure rate for multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections is higher than with aminoglycosides/polymyxins and comparable to ceftazidime-avibactam.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterizes epidemiology, serotype and treatment resistance of extraintestinal invasive Escherichia coli, the most common pathogen in community-onset sepsis.

New amicus brief from scholars and professional organizations including the American Thoracic Society and American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology supports AAP lawsuit against HHS changes to pediatric vaccine schedule.

Risk of a cardiac event was higher in older patients hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection than has been reported for influenza.

Although the declared COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency has passed, the CDC reports continued high numbers of illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations and deaths.

With rates of influenza vaccination in decline, two health systems evaluated interventions for prompting clinicians to order, and patients to obtain flu shots.

A delay in providing standard infant vaccinations is associated with children not receiving MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine by 2 years of age.

Shortening course of empiric broad spectrum antibiotics for community-onset sepsis was associated with fewer days of antibiotics and hospitalization and no increase in mortality.

In the second installment of this 2-part article on the WHO 2025 World Malaria Report, the authors point out the positive trends in the scaling up of prevention efforts with new-generation anti-mosquito netting, vaccines and periodic chemoprevention.