HIV and ID Observations

January 29th, 2017

In A Weekend of Paranoia and Anger and Fear, Some Release From the Other Side of the Globe

This was not a happy or comfortable weekend for ID doctors, given our predilection for inclusiveness, non-judgmental care, global health, and that “safety net” idea that seems to us such an intrinsic part of being a good doctor. Exclusion of foreigners? Why, we ask, would you do that? People from other countries are our friends, our colleagues, and our patients. […]

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January 22nd, 2017

Fun With Old Medical Images!

Welcome to Fun with Old Medical Images! Here’s how it works: You’ll see a series of images — old, strange, and perplexing — and each will have a caption that I have created for you at no extra cost. Accustomed to high-quality and clinically relevant information from your NEJM Journal Watch contributors, you will laugh happily at the contrast between […]

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January 16th, 2017

Two Case Reports Worth Reading, and Enlisting Pro-Vaccine Support

Case reports are pretty low down on the “levels of evidence” pyramid. This low status notwithstanding, when they are well done they can illustrate important clinical lessons, including these two: A Las Vegas woman died after infection with a pan-resistant strain of Klebsiella. While CDC receives many isolates of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE), 80% are susceptible to at least one aminoglycoside […]

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January 8th, 2017

Poll: Should Medicine and Family Practice Residency Programs Have a Dedicated HIV Track?

A few medicine and family practice residency programs around the country have a dedicated track that focuses on HIV care. Though the programs naturally differ somewhat in structure — here are two examples from University of Washington and Yale — they generally involve placing the resident into an HIV clinic for their longitudinal outpatient experience. We don’t have […]

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January 1st, 2017

Top Stories in HIV Medicine for 2016

A lot of these “Best of …” or “Top Stories in …” lists have already been published, as they seem to be appearing earlier and earlier each year. Pretty soon we’ll start reading them around the same time they sell Halloween Candy — and that’s just too early, sorry. Now this list, however, appears just as 2016 is in […]

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December 25th, 2016

Ebola Vaccine, a New Use for Listerine, USPSTF on HSV, Nether Grooming, and More: A Christmas and Hanukkah Overlap ID Link-o-Rama

A few notable ID stories out there for this remarkable convergence in our Judeo-Christian holiday calendar: Experimental Ebola vaccine “100%” effective. Impressive scientific progress on prevention of this terrifying disease, with even better strategies expected soon. 10 days of antibiotics is better than 5 for childhood (age < 2) otitis media. For the record, my “inside source” on this […]

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December 18th, 2016

Holiday Distractions, Dirty Pets, and Time to Vote for Your Favorite Cartoon Caption

Many people find it tough to concentrate at work this time of year. So much to juggle: Holiday parties. Shopping. Travel plans — specifically, should we go with DEET or picaridin? Lots of high-carb, high-calorie foods stealing blood from our brains. Maybe too much eggnog or punch doing the same thing. Kids on vacation, with their demands for […]

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December 11th, 2016

You Want Guidelines? We Got Guidelines!

About a million years ago — in other words, probably sometime during my ID fellowship — I asked transplant ID guru Bob Rubin how various ID guidelines came together, including one on antifungal therapy he had just led. “You lock a bunch of experts in a hotel conference room,” he said. “Provide them plenty of food and coffee. […]

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December 4th, 2016

Just Wondering: Quick ID/HIV Questions to Ponder During Month Number 12

A selection of ID/HIV questions that have been dogging me over the past year, some longer: Why is there no reliable, readily available PCR diagnostic test for malaria? Seems especially ironic since the one for babesia has become so commonly used. Does the Binax antigen test make it unnecessary? Why aren’t we actively recommending Zika testing for couples who return from […]

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November 25th, 2016

ID Cartoon Caption Contest #2 Winner — and a New Contest for the Holidays

Every so often, one of my regular readers (which must number at least a dozen at this point, including my extended family, dog, and cat) asks me where I come up with ideas. The answer, of course, is that there are infinite sources of inspiration in the field of Infectious Diseases — the difficulty is choosing what fascinating topic […]

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