Update on Treatment Options for Gonococcal Infections.

The incidence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in the United States has grown over the past decade. The most recent data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that reported cases have increased by almost 10% over the last 5 years. In conjunction with this rise, the presence of multidrug-resistant strains of N.

Comparison of serotonin toxicity with concomitant use of either linezolid or comparators and serotonergic agents: an analysis of Phase III and IV randomized clinical trial data.

Objectives And Methods: The present study's objective was to evaluate serotonin toxicity with concomitant use of linezolid or comparators and serotonergic agents from 20 Phase III and IV comparator-controlled clinical studies on treatment of various Gram-positive infections. All reported adverse events were evaluated for serotonin toxicity using exact and surrogate terms consistent with Sternbach Criteria and Hunter Serotonin Toxicity Criteria.

Results: Baseline demographics and co-morbidities were similar between linezolid and comparator groups.

The role of primary care prescribers in the diagnosis and management of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections.

Nosocomial infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were first reported in the United States in the early 1960s. Beginning in the 1990s, healthy individuals from the community with no risk factors for resistant bacteria began presenting with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, acquiring the name "community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus" (CA-MRSA). CA-MRSA has a tendency to affect the skin and skin structures, generally in the form of abscesses and furuncles, carbuncles, and cellulitis.

Comparison of dosing recommendations for antimicrobial drugs based on two methods for assessing kidney function: cockcroft-gault and modification of diet in renal disease.

Study Objectives: To quantify the difference between glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) estimated by using the Cockcroft-Gault and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations, and to determine whether dosing recommendations for four commonly prescribed antimicrobial agents are discordant when determined by using these equations.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: Tertiary-care medical center.

Rifaximin for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

Objective: To review the effectiveness and safety of rifaximin for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

Methods: A literature search was conducted of MEDLINE (1966-September 2007), the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1995-2007), and the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Reviews (2003-2007). English-language articles identified from the data sources were evaluated.

Impact of an institution-specific hospital-acquired pneumonia protocol on the appropriateness of antibiotic therapy and patient outcomes.

Study Objective: To evaluate the impact of a hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) protocol on appropriateness of empiric antibiotic therapy, antibiotic deescalation, antibiotic duration, patient mortality, and length of stay.

Design: Before- and after-study of protocol implementation.

Setting: A 450-bed, academic medical center.

Antibiotic-lock therapy for long-term catheter-related bacteremia: a review of the current evidence.

Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among patients receiving hemodialysis, parenteral nutrition and chemotherapy. Antibiotic-lock therapy (ALT) represents a promising technique in the modern treatment of CRBSIs. In this review, we attempt to clarify the potential role of ALT in the treatment of long-term catheter-related bacteremia, based on the available evidence from published studies reporting on this issue.

Serotonin toxicity associated with the use of linezolid: a review of postmarketing data.

Background: Linezolid is the first oxazolidinone antimicrobial marketed in the United States. It exhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO) type A and MAO type B inhibitory effects. The concomitant administration of nonselective MAO inhibitors or MAO-A inhibitors with drugs that increase serotonin concentrations is associated with serotonin toxicity.

Continuous versus intermittent intravenous administration of antibacterials with time-dependent action: a systematic review of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters.

We performed a systematic review of randomised clinical trials to evaluate the comparative pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the continuous versus intermittent mode of intravenous administration of various antibacterials. Data were identified from PubMed (January 1950 to January 2005), Current Contents, the Cochrane central register of controlled trials, and references from relevant articles and reviews. Seventeen randomised clinical trials comparing continuous with intermittent intravenous administration of the same antibacterial regimen and examining the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties were included in this systematic review.

Hypoglycemia-induced anoxic brain injury possibly associated with levofloxacin.

Reports linking alterations in blood glucose concentrations with fluoroquinolones, mostly gatifloxacin and ciprofloxacin, have been published. We describe an elderly, non-diabetic patient with steroid-induced hyperglycemia prescribed glyburide who later developed severe hypoglycemia resulting in anoxic brain injury soon after initiating therapy with levofloxacin.

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for treatment of severe Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Objective: To evaluate the role of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) as an alternative to vancomycin for the treatment of severe Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Data Sources: Clinical literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1966-February 2003) and EMBASE (1980-February 2003). Key search terms included trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole combination and Staphylococcus aureus.