Infections following chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy: 2018-2022.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an emerging therapeutic modality for relapsed and refractory hematological malignancies. Infectious complications following CAR T-cell therapy are not well defined.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of data on patients who received CAR T-cell therapy between April 2018 and December 2022 at the Karmanos Cancer Center, Detroit.

Advances in pharmacotherapies for cytomegalovirus infection: what is the current state of play?

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains a serious opportunistic infection in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Traditional anti-CMV drugs are limited by toxicities and the development of resistance. Letermovir and maribavir are newly approved antivirals for the prevention and treatment of CMV.

Invasive Fungal Infections Associated with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused >6 million deaths worldwide, often from respiratory failure. Complications frequently occurred in hospitalized patients, particularly in the intensive care unit. Among these, fungal infections were a cause of high morbidity and mortality.

SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies for COVID-19: Outcomes for bamlanivimab versus bamlanivimab-etesevimab combination in a racially diverse cohort of patients with significant comorbidities.

What Is Known And Objective: Anti-spike monoclonal antibodies (MAB) including bamlanivimab (BAM) and bamlanivimab/etesevimab (BAM/E) have shown reduced hospitalization rates for non-severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in clinical trials. Recent data have provided real-world hospitalization rates for high-risk patients treated with BAM, however, data on a similar cohort treated with BAM/E are lacking.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated outpatients ≥18 years with laboratory-confirmed mild/moderate COVID-19 who received MAB from 1 December 2020 to 19 April 2021.

A Resident-driven Quality Improvement Project to Increase Primary Care Follow-up after Congestive Heart Failure Exacerbation: Use of a Quality and Safety Award.

Objectives: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the most common cause of 30-day inpatient readmission. Studies have found that early follow-up with primary care physicians (PCP) within 7 days of discharge may improve 30-day readmission rates; however, many have used a multidisciplinary discharge coordination team, which is not a resource at all centers. Here, the authors present a resident-driven quality improvement initiative using a monthly quality and safety award to increase early PCP follow-up for veterans discharged following admissions due to a CHF exacerbation.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Following Skin and Soft Tissue Infection in a Patient With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a systemic inflammatory syndrome of inappropriate immune cell activation which can be rapidly fatal if not recognized and treated. Here we discuss a case of a 26-year-old male with HIV on antiretroviral therapy who presented with sepsis secondary to soft tissue infection and ultimately progressed to multi-organ dysfunction despite broad-spectrum antibiotics and an improvement in soft tissue infection. Continued fever and pancytopenia without an explanation found during additional infectious and rheumatologic testing eventually led to bone marrow biopsy and laboratory criteria consistent with HLH.

A Physician-Driven Quality Improvement Stewardship Intervention Using Lean Six Sigma Improves Patient Care for Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Introduction: The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommends a minimum of 5 days of antibiotic therapy in stable patients who have community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, excessive duration of therapy (DOT) is common. Define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) is a Lean Six Sigma methodology used in quality improvement efforts, including infection control; however, the utility of this approach for antimicrobial stewardship initiatives is unknown.

T2Candida for the Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Infections.

Invasive candidiasis is a common healthcare-associated infection with high mortality and is difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms and limitations of culture based diagnostic methods. T2Candida, based on T2 magnetic resonance technology, is FDA approved for the diagnosis of candidemia and can rapidly detect the five most commonly isolated sp. in approximately 5 h directly from whole blood.

Ocular Toxoplasmosis Mimicking Lymphoma: Exploring the Correlation and Distinction.

We present a case of a 74-year-old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who presented with unilateral blurry vision that had progressively worsened over a few weeks. Ophthalmic examination revealed unilateral anterior chamber, vitreous body inflammation along with retinal infiltration which was initially diagnosed with posterior uveitis. Analysis of vitreous fluid aspiration was negative for bacteria, fungal and viral etiologies.

Outcomes of an Online Virtual Boot Camp to Prepare Fourth-Year Medical Students for a Successful Transition to Internship.

Introduction Changes in medical education and health care delivery have limited the ability of fourth-year medical students to perform the role of an intern prior to graduating from medical school. To address this issue, many schools have instituted residency preparation courses (sometimes referred to as boot camps) particularly for students entering surgical fields. Courses for students entering nonprocedural fields are less common and most assess increases in self-reported confidence without providing objective evidence of a gain in knowledge or skills improvement.

Exogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 for hyperglycemia in critically ill patients.

Objective: To review literature evaluating the safety and efficacy of exogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) for hyperglycemia in critically ill patients.

Data Sources: PubMed was queried (inception to September 3, 2011), using the search term glucagon-like peptide-1. The search was limited to studies published in English and conducted in humans.