Infectious Disease

Top news of the day from across the health care landscape

An extremely virulent (hypermucoviscous) strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K pneumoniae) that is resistant to carbapenem and colistin has been isolated for the first time from a patient in the United States.

The 2017-2018 flu season was severe, resulting in 172 pediatric deaths across the country.

The results of a new analysis have revealed that incidence of intensive care unit bacteremia is decreasing over time.

Individuals who inject drugs are at an increased risk of developing invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Point-of-care testing (POTC) increase patients' access to care and treatment. In 2 areas—influenza and streptococcal pharyngitis—POCT is available, but not used as often as it could be.

Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic medicine that treats certain bacterial infections, including some types of pneumonia and bronchitis.

Officials with the FDA have approved Lannett Company’s Levofloxacin Oral Solution.

Antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections put children with compromised immune systems in health care settings at greater risk of infections of the lung, urinary tract, and other sites.

Serious cases of neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida, have been reported in babies born to women with HIV being treated with dolutegravir.

What OTC products would you recommend in these cases?

HDL cholesterol is known as the good kind, but too much or too little could negatively impact the immune system.

Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospital admissions and healthcare resource consumption worldwide.

With this year's strain of influenza gaining so much attention, due to its severity, it is important to understand and choose the best treatment option for any patient.

The IDSA and SHEA have made a recent update to the previously published practice guidelines for CDI. While many of the recommendations remain the same, there are a few key changes that the update has addressed.

Community-acquired pneumonia is a common and potentially serious illness, particularly in elderly patients and those with significant comorbidities. Prevention and early identification can have a positive impact on infected individuals, health care economics, and the community.

How can pharmacists assist patients with preventing and treating infectious diseases?

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week suggests that opioids may pose a different, unintended untoward consequence in patients: an increased risk of pneumococcal infection.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Allergan's supplemental New Drug Application to expand the approved use of their cephalosporin / beta-lactamase inhibitor combo antibiotic, AVYCAZ (ceftazidime and avibactam), to include the treatment of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) caused by the following susceptible Gram-negative microorganisms: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Haemophilus influenzae in patients 18 years of age or older.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is defined as pneumonia acquired outside hospital or health care facilities.

Here is an overview of the key Issues for hospital pharmacists.

Ceftazidime-avibactam, a new antibiotic combination, may be an effective alternative to carbapenem meropenem for the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia associated with antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

Influenza season is in full swing and social media is buzzing about this product.

The Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted, was approved in October for those 50 and older. Here is the scoop.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) infects approximately 4 million Americans annually. As a result of this infection, there are approximately 445,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths in the United States each year.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune-mediated neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle weakness.

What you need to know.

Researchers explore the impact of pneumococcal vaccines and antibiotic usage on trends in colonization in young, healthy children.

This chart provides a simple way to answer questions that pharmacists will receive this winter.