An ongoing dialogue on HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases,
April 1st, 2011
Clindamycin or Cephalexin for (Mostly) MRSA?
Over on the Journal Watch Pediatrics site, there’s a summary of a study that compared clindamycin with cephalexin for purulent skin infections in kids age 6 months to 18 years. The results? MRSA and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) were isolated from 70% and 19% of children, respectively … The primary outcome — clinical improvement at 48 […]
March 26th, 2011
Zoster Vaccine for Age 50 and Up? A Resounding “Yea” Vote Here
I was getting off the elevator at the hospital the other day, and a cardiologist greeted me with the phrase every ID doctor in the world will instantly recognize: Can I ask you a quick question? It was actually a series of questions, and, as is often the case, it wasn’t so “quick”. But I was happy […]
March 18th, 2011
Friday Fosfomycins
Today’s ID/HIV comments and links are named after every ID specialist’s favorite new toy for UTIs. This HIV transmission from a kidney donor is getting quite a bit of media play, as such complications always do. I was at a meeting this AM when one of my colleagues (an endocrinologist) commented how horrible she thought it […]
March 8th, 2011
Really Rapid Review of CROI 2011 — and No CROI 2012 Dates
With CROI 2011 now officially over, I offer below the following Really Rapid Review™ for ID/HIV Specialists with limited time — or for those who said they went to the conference but spent the entire week shopping in the Prudential Mall and eating at Legal Seafood: Lots on PrEP. Bottom line — it works if you take […]
February 17th, 2011
Zinc May Work for Colds — But Don’t Pretend It’s Not a Drug
Does zinc work for colds? Apparently it does, according to this Cochrane Review. From the “Plain Language Summary”: This review identified 15 randomized controlled trials, enrolling 1360 participants of all age groups, comparing zinc with placebo (no zinc). We found that zinc (lozenges or syrup) is beneficial in reducing the duration and severity of the common cold […]
February 14th, 2011
Pspring Training Pseudomonads
A few ID/HIV issues to ponder as we welcome back the most important sport in the universe: Interesting new Guidelines on UTIs from IDSA — especially their recommendations not to use fluoroquinolones for uncomplicated cystitis and to promote nitrofurantoin for 5 days to first-line for this indication. And welcome to fosfomycin — though this could eliminate one […]
January 20th, 2011
A New Antiretroviral Drug Class, and a Movie
In my email in-box today was a very odd press release, referring to this paper, just published in PLoS ONE. With the subject line, “Koronis – Clinical Trial Results Demonstrate Promise for First Non-suppressive HIV Drug,” it included the following information: Recently published Phase 2a clinical trial results show that the frequency of specific, drug-induced mutations in the […]
January 11th, 2011
Revised DHHS Guidelines, and Some Thoughts on Guidelines in General
As another major snow storm barrels in on us, you might have time over the next 24-48 hours to make some hot chocolate, throw some logs on the fire, and read the spanking-new 2011 Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) HIV Treatment Guidelines, just posted here on the AIDSinfo web site. (Disclosure: I’m on the […]
January 4th, 2011
HIV Year in Review Posted on Journal Watch
Want to catch up quickly in HIV clinical care? Forgive the bias, but the best strategy may well be to read our “Year in Review 2010” summary over on Journal Watch: AIDS Clinical Care. Always interesting to speculate what we’ll be choosing next year — I wouldn’t be surprised if progress in eradication (i.e., cure!) starts moving […]
January 2nd, 2011
2011: A New Meaning for “Antiviral”
January 1, 2011 Dear Lake Superior State University, Clinicians are particularly concerned about this year’s “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness“, as topping the list was the word, viral. One nominator said: Events, photographs, written pieces and even occasional videos that attracted a great deal of attention once were simply highly publicized, […]
Paul E. Sax, MD
Contributing Editor
NEJM Journal Watch
Infectious Diseases
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