Top stories in infectious disease: Modified urine culture reporting reduces unnecessary antibiotic treatment, FDA clears T2Bacteria Panel for sepsis diagnosis

Among the top stories in infectious disease is a proof-of-concept study showing that withholding certain lab results from physicians reduced inappropriate antibiotic treatment of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria by 27%. The FDA granted market clearance to T2 Biosystems for its T2Bacteria Panel, which could identify pathogens associated with sepsis within hours. Other stories include findings that over a 10-year period more than 130,000 patients may have been exposed to hepatitis C virus infection due to medical errors, more than 25% of migrants in Europe are either carrying or infected by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, and 66% of patients with HIV missed opportunities for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Modified urine culture reporting reduces treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria by 27%

Withholding certain lab results from physicians reduced inappropriate antibiotic treatment of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria, or ASB, by almost 30% in a small proof-of-concept study conducted in two Canadian hospitals. Read More.

FDA clears T2Bacteria Panel for sepsis diagnosis

T2 Biosystems announced today that it has received market clearance from the FDA for its T2Bacteria Panel, which the company said can identify pathogens associated with sepsis within hours. Read More.

,Medical errors may have exposed more than 100,000 patients to HCV

Between 2001 and 2011, more than 130,000 patients may have been exposed to hepatitis C virus infection because of medical errors, and only 37% were proactively notified before the onset of symptoms, according to researchers. Read More.

Prevalence of AMR among migrants in Europe exceeds 25%

More than one-quarter of migrants in Europe are either carrying or are infected by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, underscoring the urgent need to improve living conditions, access to health care and disease surveillance in this population, according to a recent study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Read More.

Two-thirds of patients with HIV had missed opportunities for PrEP

New findings from a retrospective cohort study revealed that 66% of patients newly diagnosed with HIV in South Carolina visited a health care facility before their diagnosis. The health care visits occurred after the CDC had issued interim guidance recommending daily pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, for patients at risk for HIV and, therefore, likely represent missed opportunities for its use, according to researchers. Read More.