Penicillin

Avoidance of cephalosporins and penicillin with beta-lactamase inhibitors during anti-TNF therapy reduced the risk for anti-drug antibodies among patients with inflammatory bowel disease, according to research published in Gut.

Amoxicillin, an oral semisynthetic penicillin, is the most common antibiotic associated with childhood medication allergies.

Assessments in the ED can identify patients who are eligible to have a penicillin allergy removed from their electronic health record, according to findings of a pilot study presented virtually at the SHEA Spring Conference.

A healthy 12-day old female seems to suddenly develop painless bilateral swelling of both the preauricular areas and the right postauricular area. There is no fever or other concerning symptoms, and her appetite is normal and unchanged.

The most recent MMWR included a report about a novel, emerging strain of beta-lactamase-producing Neisseria meningitidis in the United States that is resistant to both penicillin and ciprofloxacin.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection produced by spirochetes in the genus Leptospira. Leptospira are aerobic but are difficult to cultivate and take many days to grow. They stain poorly with Gram’s stain and are best visualized with silver stain, dark field microscopy or fluorescent microscopy.

HOUSTON — Researchers found no differences in outcomes between liver transplant recipients with a penicillin allergy label and matched controls, according to findings presented at the American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology Science Meeting.

HOUSTON — Women were more likely to have positive penicillin skin test results than men, according to findings presented at the American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology Scientific Meeting.

As a young medical student, I learned how tiny organisms could wreak great havoc in this world — which exposed me to the world of ID early in my medical career. I attended medical school with the goal of understanding and conquering them. During my ID rotation, I cared for a patient who had fever, vague symptoms and a rash that was biopsied. They called us, the ID service, hoping that we could offer answers. This role of a detective, collaborator, thinker and doctor is what still appeals to me the most about the practice of ID. I was in awe of the ID specialists who ascertained the etiology as secondary syphilis and treated this patient with penicillin — and I hoped someday to emulate them. Intriguing cases like this sparked my interest in this field, which only grew stronger in the years to come.

SAN FRANCISCO — Staphylococcus aureus was present on 40% of sampled cell phones of university students, mostly belonging to nursing students, according to findings presented at ASM Microbe.