Respiratory Infections News

Pneumonia can be ruled out for most children with a suspected diagnosis but a negative chest radiograph, or CXR, according to research published in Pediatrics. Researchers noted that most of these children can be monitored without needing treatment with antibiotics.

TB Alliance announced it has begun a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a new, shorter four-drug regimen for treating most types of tuberculosis, including multidrug-resistant infections.

A sputum molecular testing algorithm resulted in less time spent in respiratory isolation among patients with possible tuberculosis, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Drinking alcohol contributes to nearly 3 million deaths globally and the risk for death increases with the number of alcoholic drinks consumed daily, according to data published in The Lancet.

Ted Eickhoff understood the intersection of public health and the infectious disease practitioner, effectively using his editorial pulpit at Infectious Disease News to promote dialogue and discourse on the rapidly changing circumstances that would dictate public health policy. He recognized the ever-evolving microbial world’s impact on not only the individual patient, but on the community at large, and remained at the forefront, ensuring that infectious disease practitioners received needed information in a timely manner so they could remain staunch public health partners. A profession is traditionally defined by its common body of knowledge. As with the 1910 Flexner Report that proved revolutionary for medical education in the United States, the 1915 Welch-Rose report presented to the General Education Board of the Rockefeller Foundation outlined public health as a profession in which “Unity is to be found rather in the end to be accomplished. ... Public Health is not a single profession in the traditional sense and is best defined by its shared goals rather than its disparate means. Articulating who we are and what we do remains one of our greatest challenges.”

Patient expectations have been shown to be a driver of antibiotic overprescribing. Some physicians say they are nervous that a bad review on the crowd-source review forum Yelp can hurt their bottom line and are more inclined to prescribe an antibiotic — even when it is not needed — to avoid negative attention online. Infectious Disease News asked Sheryl Recinos, MD, a family medicine physician and a full-time hospitalist in Lancaster, California, if physician reviews should be allowed on the website.

In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on the cautious and appropriate use of antibiotics as a means of mitigating the threat of antimicrobial resistance. Yet antibiotic overprescribing remains a concern, particularly in outpatient settings such as the physician’s office, urgent care centers, clinics and EDs.

Antibiotics are an appropriate and effective option for the treatment of wet or productive cough in children, with literature supporting the use of amoxicillin clavulanate or erythromycin, according to a Cochrane review.

WHO announced changes to treatment guidelines for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Migrant children are at an increased risk for numerous health problems. Infectious Diseases in Children asked Janine Young, MD, FAAP, medical director of the Denver Health Refugee Clinic and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Elizabeth Barnert, MD, MPH, MS, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, about the level of care migrant children should receive at federal detention and processing centers.