Utility of Respiratory Pathogen Panels in the Outpatient Oncology Setting.

Oncology patients presenting for outpatient evaluation of a respiratory tract infection (RTI) are often tested for a variety of viruses with a respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) in addition to influenza and SARS-CoV-2. This triad of testing is expensive and uncomfortable because it requires 2 nasal swabs. Little evidence supports the use of an RPP in outpatient settings, but it is routinely ordered.

Estimated Impact of Low Isolate Numbers on the Reliability of Cumulative Antibiogram Data.

Antibiograms are cumulative reports of antimicrobial susceptibility results that are used to guide the selection of empirical antibiotic therapy. Although Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines recommend including only organisms that have at least 30 isolates in an antibiogram, previous studies demonstrated that adherence to this recommendation is highly variable. This paper aims to model the impact of small sample sizes on expected levels of error in cumulative antibiograms by comparing percent susceptibility results for random samples to those of the larger, entire data set.

Intracranial infection following emergent craniectomy.

We present a case of a young healthy female who developed recurrent cranial wound infections after a traumatic injury, the etiologic organism finally identified as an uncommon and difficult to isolate bacterium.

COVID-19 treatment combinations and associations with mortality in a large multi-site healthcare system.

Introduction: During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality associated with the disease declined in the United States. The standard of care for pharmacological interventions evolved during this period as new and repurposed treatments were used alone and in combination. Though these medications have been studied individually, data are limited regarding the relative impact of different medication combinations.

Central Nervous System Histoplasma-Associated Post-infectious Inflammatory Response Syndrome (Histo-PIIRS).

We present a case of central nervous system (CNS) histoplasmosis in a previously healthy adult with hepatitis C (HCV) presenting with neurological symptoms refractory to antifungal therapy and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting 4 months after initial diagnosis. Persistent symptoms were thought to be inflammatory rather than infectious given negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum fungal antigens. The patient promptly improved after initiation of corticosteroid therapy.

Antimicrobial Stewardship: What the Clinical Laboratory Needs to Know.

Misuse of antibiotics, including unnecessary use or inappropriate selection, may result in side effects and poor outcome in individual patients, as well as contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial stewardship programs exist to reduce such misuse of antibiotics and ill effect in order to promote patient outcome. The importance of diagnostics, antibiogram data, possible interventions, and impact are reviewed.

Streptococcal pharyngitis: an uncommon cause of subdural empyema.

A 7-year-old girl with an unremarkable medical history presented to a local paediatric emergency department with a 7-day history of fever, sore throat and vomiting, and a 1-day history of rash. She was admitted to the hospital, with presumed Kawasaki disease. A few hours after admission, the patient had sudden onset of two witnessed tonic-clonic seizures and subsequent decreased mental status.

A review and clinical summary of vitamin D in regard to bone health and athletic performance.

The large amount of scientific literature regarding vitamin D can be overwhelming and confusing. Some organizations have made specific guidelines and recommendations regarding optimal blood levels of vitamin D. In the sports medicine literature, new information about the effects of vitamin D on performance and bone health abound.