University Of California Los Angeles

Patients with infective endocarditis related to injection drug use had an increased readmission risk for endocarditis, drug abuse and septicemia, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Drug-coated balloons have the strongest evidence, compared with other technologies, as a solution for peripheral in-stent restenosis, a speaker said at the International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy.

Patients with uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe asthma treated with dupilumab demonstrated significant improvement in asthma control regardless of exacerbation history, according to data presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting.

SAN ANTONIO — Local therapy decisions appeared to significantly affect quality of life among young breast cancer survivors, according to study results presented at San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Gram-negative bacteria can quickly develop antibiotic resistance and can confer the resistance to other bacteria. The cell envelope of gram-negative bacteria, which features two membranes and sometimes an additional capsule or slime layer, can better equip them to survive immune surveillance in humans and persist in the antibiotic-laden hospital environment. Data presented at IDWeek in San Francisco bolstered the view that we might at least keep pace with gram-negative antibiotic resistance.

Musculoskeletal and infection professionals from 98 countries convened July 25-27, 2018 at the International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection in Philadelphia to discuss how to improve the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal infections. Of the topics presented, delegates strongly debated whether antibiotic-loaded bone cement should be used in primary total joint arthroplasty to prevent periprosthetic joint infection.

About 1 week after an outbreak of Ebola was declared over in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, officials announced another outbreak of the hemorrhagic viral illness. This marked the country’s 10th outbreak since the emergence of the virus near the Ebola River in 1976.

Results published in Orthopedics showed outpatient total shoulder arthroplasty was safe and effective when it was performed in a select patient population, and it has the potential to decrease payer cost compared with inpatient total shoulder arthroplasty.

On July 24, WHO announced that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, was over following 3 months of quick action — including giving almost 3,500 people an experimental vaccine. However, another outbreak was announced a week later. As of press time, it was unclear whether the two outbreaks were related.

The appropriate indications for arthroscopic ankle fusion are debated. Studies have demonstrated low rates of nonunion and complications with the arthroscopic technique that are comparable to traditional open ankle fusion. Despite this, open approaches are widely used.