Serious Bacterial Infections and Hepatitis C Virus Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Syndemic or Intertwined Epidemics?

Limited research has examined the possible synergistic interrelationships between serious bacterial infections (SBIs) of the heart (i.e., endocarditis), bone, spine, brain, or joints (e.

The Role of the Infectious Disease Consultation in Lyme Disease.

A consultation regarding Lyme disease can be challenging for the infectious disease physician when the referral question centers on the use of prolonged or empirical antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infections. Patients who have been infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, and many who have been misdiagnosed, are confronted with a seemingly endless array of misinformation that is not in keeping with the current understanding of the clinical spectrum of Lyme disease and its response to evidence-based treatment. Preparing for these conversations with a good grasp of the public beliefs regarding Lyme disease and its treatment can be beneficial.

The Impact of Standardized Infectious Diseases Consultation on Postsplenectomy Care and Outcomes.

Background: Patients who receive splenectomy are at risk for overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI). Guidelines recommend that adult asplenic patients receive a complement of vaccinations, education on the risks of OPSI, and on-demand antibiotics. However, prior literature suggests that a majority of patients who have had a splenectomy receive incomplete asplenic patient care and thus remain at increased risk.

: An increasingly recognized human pathogen.

The authors present the case of a bloodstream infection and sepsis due to in a severely malnourished patient with small bowel obstruction and pelvic abscess. The organism was identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The authors discuss the characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and emerging scope of clinical infection caused by species.

Rat bite fever in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus.

The authors report the case of a 45-year-old male with history of human immunodeficiency virus who presented unresponsive and with injuries to his hands after spending a night on a lakeside beach. During his hospitalization, he developed a fever with arthralgias and was initially thought to have calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease before a diagnosis of Rat Bite Fever was ultimately discovered. He was successfully treated with six-weeks of ceftriaxone.

Statewide Assessment of the Hepatitis C Virus Care Cascade for Incarcerated Persons in Vermont.

Objectives: Incarcerated persons in the United States have a high burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study assessed the impact of a statewide effort in Vermont to treat HCV in this group.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational cohort study of all HCV-infected persons who were imprisoned in Vermont during the 19-month study period (December 2018-June 2020).

Endocarditis and systemic embolization from Whipple's disease.

Whipple's disease (WD), caused by infection with the organism , is a rare disease that classically presents with diarrhea, weight loss, and polyarthralgia. Less commonly, Whipple's Disease can presentation with endocarditis or neurologic infections. The authors report a patient with Whipple's Disease endocarditis whose initial presentation was acute lower extremity arterial occlusion, and review current literature regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Whipple's Disease endocarditis.

Streptococcus suis meningitis can require a prolonged treatment course.

We report a case of recrudescent Streptococcus suis meningitis requiring a prolonged treatment course. A few similar cases can be found in the burgeoning literature on what remains a relatively uncommon disease in humans, and these patients should be monitored carefully upon completion of therapy.

Bridging dermatologists with patient advocacy organizations through smartphones.

Importance: Patient advocacy organizations seek to increase their benefits for patients with skin disease; low awareness and patient referrals among dermatologists have presented an obstacle to this.

Objective: To determine whether the Skin Advocate iPhone App would increase awareness and referrals to patient advocacy organizations in the Coalition of Skin Diseases (CSD) among Texas dermatologists and dermatology residents and patient registrations among CSD member organizations.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We present results of an institutional review board-exempted investigation conducted among member organizations of the CSD and among dermatologists and dermatology residents in Texas from April 1, 2011, through March 31, 2013.