Infectious Diseases (all articles)
Cluster RCT | Long-lasting insecticidal nets compared for malaria control
12 Apr, 2023 | 13:04h | UTCInvited Commentary: Getting ahead of insecticide-resistant malaria vector mosquitoes – The Lancet (free registration required)
WHO Report | Dengue & Chikungunya cases spreading beyond known transmission zones in the Americas
10 Apr, 2023 | 14:04h | UTCCommentary: WHO: Concerning Spread of Dengue, Chikungunya in Latin America – JAMA
Brief Review | Ten tips on fever in the ICU
10 Apr, 2023 | 14:02h | UTCTen tips on fever – Intensive Care Medicine
RCT | Maternal RSVpreF vaccination protects infants from severe RSV illness
10 Apr, 2023 | 13:56h | UTCBivalent Prefusion F Vaccine in Pregnancy to Prevent RSV Illness in Infants – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Vaccination during pregnancy could prevent RSV illness in infants – Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Commentary on Twitter
In a phase 3 trial, adults (≥60 years of age) received one 120-μg dose of RSVpreF vaccine or placebo. Vaccine efficacy against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract illness was 67 to 86%. https://t.co/R9u77iWjF9 pic.twitter.com/iPU8VAMQ9M
— NEJM (@NEJM) April 5, 2023
RCT | RSVpreF vaccine successfully prevents RSV-associated respiratory illness in seniors
10 Apr, 2023 | 13:54h | UTCEfficacy and Safety of a Bivalent RSV Prefusion F Vaccine in Older Adults – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Cohort Study | Clinical features, etiologies, and outcomes in adult patients with meningoencephalitis requiring intensive care
10 Apr, 2023 | 13:38h | UTCClinical features, etiologies, and outcomes in adult patients with meningoencephalitis requiring intensive care (EURECA): an international prospective multicenter cohort study – Intensive Care Medicine (free for a limited period)
Commentary on Twitter
? Meningoencephalitis in adults requiring #ICU, EURECA study
➡️ poor outcomes at 3 months (moderate-to-severe disability or death) in ½ pts
➡️ older age, immunodepression, neurologic presentation nonmodifiable factors associated w poor outcome.#FOAMcc
?️ https://t.co/AR3w8x0Hiy pic.twitter.com/ChoucOnP8B— Intensive Care Medicine (@yourICM) April 7, 2023
Consensus Paper | Best management of patients with an acute sore throat
6 Apr, 2023 | 13:32h | UTC
Review | Post-COVID syndrome
6 Apr, 2023 | 13:21h | UTCPost-COVID Syndrome – Deutsches Ärzteblatt International
Related:
Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations – Nature Reviews Microbiology
Infections and cardiovascular disease: JACC focus seminar
6 Apr, 2023 | 13:15h | UTC
Podcast | HIV in primary care
6 Apr, 2023 | 13:13h | UTC#388 HIV in Primary Care with Dr. Jonathan J. “JJ” Nunez MD – The Curbsiders
Cohort Study | Barriers to starting direct-acting antiviral treatment despite access for HIV & hepatitis C patients
6 Apr, 2023 | 13:09h | UTCInvited Commentary: The road to hepatitis C virus elimination – The Lancet Public Health
M-A | Comparison of the diagnostic accuracies of monocyte distribution width, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein for sepsis
6 Apr, 2023 | 13:00h | UTC
ERS/ESICM/ESCMID/ALAT guidelines for the management of severe community-acquired pneumonia
5 Apr, 2023 | 13:45h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Management of severe community-acquired pneumonia: @EuroRespSoc @ESICM @ESCMID @ALATorax international guidelines
➡️ evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis, empirical treatment, ABTs
➡️ current knowledge gaps
➡️ recommendations for future research
?️ https://t.co/qhe1wlgN9t pic.twitter.com/LMNCbauYfs— Intensive Care Medicine (@yourICM) April 4, 2023
M-A | Vaginal swab outperforms urine for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis
5 Apr, 2023 | 13:23h | UTC
Contrary to prior studies, new research finds no heightened postoperative risk after a recent covid-19 infection
4 Apr, 2023 | 13:54h | UTCCommentaries:
COVID infection within 60 days not tied to adverse postsurgical outcomes – CIDRAP
Adverse Postoperative Outcomes Not Increased With Recent COVID-19 – HealthDay
Related:
ASA and APSF statement on perioperative testing for the COVID-19 virus.
Guideline: SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, COVID‐19 and timing of elective surgery
BJS commission on surgery and perioperative care post-COVID-19.
ASA Guidance: Preoperative testing for COVID-19 is essential, regardless of vaccination.
Position statement: Perioperative management of post-COVID-19 surgical patients.
Bivalent Booster | Observational data suggests no increased cardiovascular risks compared to monovalent vaccine
4 Apr, 2023 | 13:55h | UTCCommentary: Similarly Low Risk of CV Events With Bivalent and Monovalent mRNA Boosters – TCTMD
Commentary on Twitter
In this French study, the risk of cardiovascular events was similar among recipients of the bivalent Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine and the original monovalent vaccine 21 days after the booster dose. https://t.co/FUZbbsn82I pic.twitter.com/ki0FPeutNm
— NEJM (@NEJM) March 29, 2023
M-A | Rapid antigen-based and rapid molecular tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2
4 Apr, 2023 | 13:52h | UTCRelated:
Interpreting a lateral flow SARS-CoV-2 antigen test – The BMJ
RCT | Comparable efficacy of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin in treating spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
3 Apr, 2023 | 14:01h | UTCSummary: This multicenter, prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin as initial treatments for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. The study included 261 patients aged 16 to 75, with liver cirrhosis, ascites, and a polymorphonuclear cell count of >250/mm3. Researchers performed follow-up paracentesis at 48 hours to evaluate the assigned antibiotics, and assessed resolution rates at 120 and 168 hours of treatment.
The primary endpoint, resolution rates at 120 hours, showed no statistically significant difference between the groups: 67.8% for cefotaxime, 77.0% for ceftriaxone, and 73.6% for ciprofloxacin. One-month mortality rates were also similar. The study concluded that these antibiotics are equally effective as initial treatments for SBP, particularly for community-acquired infections, when administered based on response-guided therapy.
Article: Response-Guided Therapy With Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone, or Ciprofloxacin for Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis: A Randomized Trial: A Validation Study of 2021 AASLD Practice Guidance for SBP – American Journal of Gastroenterology (free for a limited period)
Cohort Study | Infections requiring hospitalization linked to increased short- and long-term cardiovascular risks
3 Apr, 2023 | 13:57h | UTCSummary: The study examined the association between severe infections and the risk of cardiovascular disease in people without prior cardiovascular issues. Data from 331,683 UK Biobank participants and 271,533 Finnish participants were analyzed. Cardiovascular risk factors were measured at baseline, and infectious diseases and subsequent cardiovascular events were diagnosed through the linkage of participants to hospital and mortality registers.
Results showed that hospitalization for infection was associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events, regardless of the type of infection. The risk was highest during the first month after infection, with hazard ratios of 7.87 and 7.64 in the UK Biobank and Finnish cohorts, respectively. However, the risk remained elevated throughout the follow-up period, with hazard ratios of 1.47 in the UK Biobank and 1.41 in the Finnish cohort.
The study suggests that severe infections requiring hospital treatment are associated with increased risks for major cardiovascular disease events both immediately after hospitalization and in the long-term. However, it is important to note that residual confounding cannot be excluded, and further research is needed to establish causality.
Article: Severe Infection and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Multicohort Study – Circulation
Commentary: Severe Infections Linked to a Variety of CV Events, Both Acute and Long-term – TCTMD
Commentary on Twitter
#OriginalResearch: In this multicohort study, hospital-treated infections associated w/ significant increase in short-term risk and modest long-term risk of major CVD events. @MikaKivimaki @nellimarikki@PyrySipila #AHAJournals https://t.co/51JSJkS6l4 pic.twitter.com/U21U2IgYCO
— Circulation (@CircAHA) March 29, 2023
Lateral flow devices maintain detection sensitivity across Alpha, Delta, and Omicron waves
3 Apr, 2023 | 13:53h | UTCSummary: The study assessed the performance of antigen lateral flow devices (LFDs) during the alpha, delta, and omicron waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the UK. Researchers aimed to understand LFD performance concerning changes in variant infections, vaccination, viral load, and LFD use, as well as the devices’ ability to detect infectious individuals. Paired LFD and RT-PCR test results were collected from both asymptomatic and symptomatic participants between November 2020 and March 2022.
When compared to RT-PCR testing, the overall LFD sensitivity was 63.2%, and specificity was 99.71%. The sensitivity was higher in symptomatic participants (68.7%) than in asymptomatic participants (52.8%). The study found that increased viral load was independently associated with a higher likelihood of being LFD positive. There was no evidence of a significant difference in LFD sensitivity between the alpha and delta variants, but sensitivity increased during the omicron wave. Vaccination status did not show an independent association with LFD sensitivity.
The study concluded that LFDs can detect most SARS-CoV-2 infections across different viral variants and during vaccine roll-out, contributing to reduced transmission risk. However, LFD performance is lower in asymptomatic individuals, which should be taken into account when designing testing programs.
Invited Commentary: The performance of rapid antigen tests against SARS-CoV-2 variants – The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Related:
Interpreting a lateral flow SARS-CoV-2 antigen test – The BMJ
Updated WHO Guidelines | COVID-19 boosters no longer routinely recommended for low-risk groups
30 Mar, 2023 | 14:33h | UTCSummary: The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) has revised its COVID-19 vaccination roadmap in light of the Omicron variant and widespread population immunity. The revised roadmap prioritizes protecting those at the highest risk of severe disease and death while maintaining resilient health systems. It introduces cost-effectiveness considerations for vaccinating lower-risk individuals, such as healthy children and adolescents, and presents revised booster dose recommendations.
Priority groups are categorized as high, medium, and low, based on factors like risk of severe disease and death. People in the high-priority group, consisting of older adults, individuals with significant comorbidities or immunocompromising conditions, pregnant persons, and frontline health workers, are advised to receive additional boosters 6 or 12 months after the last dose. The medium priority group, which includes healthy adults without comorbidities and children with comorbidities, is recommended to receive primary series and first booster doses. However, SAGE no longer routinely recommends additional boosters for this group due to limited public health gains.
For the low-priority group, encompassing healthy children and adolescents, vaccination decisions should take into account factors such as disease prevalence and cost-effectiveness. It is important to note that the public health benefits of vaccinating healthy children and adolescents are considerably lower compared to established essential vaccines for children, like rotavirus, measles, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.
News Release: SAGE updates COVID-19 vaccination guidance – World Health Organization
Commentaries:
No More COVID-19 Boosters for Healthy People, WHO Experts Recommend – Health Policy Watch
WHO vaccine advisers update COVID vaccine recommendations – CIDRAP
Study suggests no heightened death risk in young people with mRNA vaccines, but ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine linked to female cardiac deaths
30 Mar, 2023 | 14:28h | UTC
Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Our latest @NatureComms research: Risk of death following COVID-19 vaccination or positive SARS-CoV-2 test in young people in England. Led by @Vnafilyan @kamleshkhunti @IsobelLWard et al. https://t.co/oxNdgEAflQ (1/3)
— Prof Amitava Banerjee? (@amibanerjee1) March 28, 2023
Improving cascade outcomes for active TB | A global systematic review and meta-analysis of TB interventions
30 Mar, 2023 | 14:17h | UTC
Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy: will it change the future of HIV treatment?
30 Mar, 2023 | 13:49h | UTC
Review | Cerebrovascular manifestations of SARS-CoV-2
29 Mar, 2023 | 13:29h | UTC