News

In this week's biggest stories, masks are seeing a small resurgence; expanding HCV screening for all persons with HIV; Pfizer's maternal vaccine gets FDA approved; and how a risk-based screening for multidrug-resistant gut microbes could improve accuracy and timeliness of empiric antibiotic treatment

With low vaccine utilization rates, finding educational resources to inform the public and increase attention to this preventative measure is needed to increase vaccinations.

Alyssa Dykstra is experiencing a drastic increase in paying for her medication for autoimmune arthritis. Insurers are utilizing a loophole provided by the federal government to allow them to disallow coupons, thus raising prescription costs for patients.

This is a challenging pathogen, requiring pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations; the recent FDA approval of sulbactam-durlobactam offers new hope.

The federal agency says everyone should immediately stop using Dr. Berne’s MSM Drops 5% Solution and LightEyez MSM Eye Drops–Eye Repair due to bacterial contamination, fungal contamination, or both.

A risk-based screening for multidrug-resistant gut microbes could improve accuracy and timeliness of empiric antibiotic treatment of systemic infection.

Unique challenges can affect the success of the shift from pediatric to adult care settings.

Masking to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk is required at a few colleges and one major movie studio.

Novavax updates its COVID-19 vaccine, locally acquired malaria is reported in Maryland, deadly listeria outbreak is linked to milkshakes, and vibriosis in the northeast.

The vaccine is intended to help prevent lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus in infants from birth to 6 months of age.

Study compares efficiency of expanding HCV screening for all persons with HIV to programs focused on those at higher risk of HCV.

Viruses and other concerns within medicine are being overlooked; health care preparedness must address these potential crises.

This week: the FDA accepts NDA for investigational antibiotic; mRNA COVID-19 vaccines update protections; counseling families on nirsevimab; and how antibiotic actions on gut microbes of patients might affect the microbiome of housemates.

Reconciling that C difficile infection is classified as hospital-onset based only on laboratory identification, while diagnoses is made from multiple factors.

Social media platforms, public health agencies, and communities must join forces to stop the rapid spread of false information.

The strain, Eris (EG5), is from the Omicron lineage, and the expectations are the newest vaccines will protect against it, and other variants from the same family.

With the FDA approval of nirsevimab-alip (Beyfortus), which is indicated for prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, clinicians will need to have important conversations with families around this monoclonal antibody, beginning this fall.

Although close clinician monitoring is warranted to avoid complications for this this type of treatment, it can be beneficial to patients and help reduce care costs.

Recently published data of bezlotoxumab dosing and safety in children with C diff was basis for expanding approval from just adults to as young as 1 years old.

With potential delays in treatment, bloodstream infections can be concerning for clinicians. Here is a review of the literature that offer guidance for treatment.

The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024.

The agency says additional time is needed to decide upon a phase 4 program.

With recent reports of this vector-borne illness in the continental United States, there is concern this might become endemic in the country again.

Antibiotic actions on gut microbes of patient might affect the microbiome of housemates.

This week's news included managing infants with RSV, how COVID-19 surveillance has evolved, and looking at changing criteria for initial and sustained response to antibiotic treatment for C diff.

Patients with a penicillin allergy can be safely delabeled using minimal resources, opening up treatment options.

A clinician offers a glimpse of what it is like to treat infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). And with the recent FDA approval of nirsevimab, how that will likely benefit families and the youngest population.