Paul E. Sax, MD is the Editor-in-Chief, Journal Watch HIV/AIDS Clinical Care and Clinical Director of the HIV Program and Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)As noted here, I recently had to answer a question on management of MRSA bacteremia as part of an every-10-year cycle of test-taking.
(For more on that joyous process, read this interesting debate here in the New England Journal of Medicine.)
The question seemed to have no obvious right answer, so I did what one is explicitly allowed to [...]
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)Just published in the journal Neurology – not typically on my radar screen — is this remarkable study comparing pregabalin to placebo for HIV-related distal sensory peripheral neuropathy.
Here are the results:
At endpoint, pregabalin and placebo showed substantial reductions in mean Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score from baseline: -2.88 vs -2.63, p = 0.3941.
(-snip-)
Individuals with [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)Ritonavir tablets have been approved, and are apparently now in pharmacies. The capsules will also remain available for the foreseeable future.
However, I haven’t switched anyone over from the capsules yet, and neither has anyone else in our practice.
Would be interested in hearing how it’s going so far — best news would be that the tablets [...]
(No Ratings Yet)It’s not on Abbott’s web site yet (update: now it’s here), but the FDA has approved a new formulation of ritonavir — a heat-stable 100 mg tablet. From an e-mail release by the FDA:
On February 10, 2010, FDA approved Norvir (ritonavir) 100 mg Tablets. These tablets do not require refrigeration. Unlike the capsule [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)The FDA has issued a warning about an association between use of ddI (didanosine) and the development of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension:
Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (portal hypertension that is not caused by cirrhosis of the liver) is rare in the United States. It occurs when blood flow in the major vein in the liver (the portal vein) [...]
(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)Since I first discussed the disruptive effect of introducing Mr. TaqMan to our clinic, many others have weighed in.
One of my favorite reports is a nice paper from the Alabama group, presented first at IDSA, and soon to be published. It shows not only a higher rate of low-level detectable results, but also the increased [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)The report last year that xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was found in a high proportion of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) caused quite a stir — which is totally understandable given how frustrated the people with CFS are with the lack of adequate explanations for their suffering.
The investigators of the original report [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)From the folks at Hammacher Schlemmer comes this extraordinary device:
Tests performed by an independent antimicrobial testing laboratory showed the wand destroyed 99.98% of the H1N1 virus after a five-second exposure when held 3/4″ above the contaminated surface. Also capable of killing MRSA, mold, and dust mites, the UV-C light penetrates viral and bacterial membranes and [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)Cephalosporins with activity against MRSA are out there, but we don’t have them yet. Just recently, the leader of the pack, ceftobiprole, hit another roadblock:
The FDA has indicated in its Complete Response Letter to Johnson & Johnson PRD that it has completed the review of the application and has determined that it cannot approve the [...]
(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)No end-of-year wrap-up is complete without a “Top 10″ list, and Journal Watch: AIDS Clinical Care is no exception.
This year we did two lists, one chosen by the Editors, the other a numeric tally of what’s read on line by the Readers.
The “When to start” issue was the top story from the Editors.
The big hit [...]
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