Infectious Disease Alert – March 1, 2025
March 1, 2025
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Uncomplicated Pediatric Appendicitis: Antibiotics or Appendectomy?
Some patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis do well with initial antibiotic treatment and do not require surgical appendectomy. However, as with adults, approximately one-third of antibiotic-treated children eventually will require surgical removal of the appendix despite the initial short-term success of medical management.
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Clostridioides difficile Toxin Vaccine Failed to Prevent Primary Infection in Trial
A Phase III randomized clinical trial on adults 50 years of age and older found that a detoxified toxin A/B vaccine failed to reach its primary endpoint of preventing Clostridioides difficile infection. The vaccine was safe and well tolerated.
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A Plasma Cell-Free DNA PCR Panel Test for Invasive Mold Disease
Lieu and colleagues performed a retrospective study of patients with suspected invasive mold disease that showed a high degree of concordance between noninvasive plasma cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and invasive specimen fungal test results.
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Agreeing to Care for Unvaccinated Children
Many primary care clinicians choose not to enroll pediatric patients in their practices when the parents disagree with standard childhood immunization. However, such refusal to provide primary care raises significant controversy and ethical concerns.
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RSV Vaccination in Severely Immunocompromised Individuals
The antibody response to respiratory syncytial virus vaccination is significantly impaired in many severely immunocompromised individuals.
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Infectious Disease Updates
Post-COVID Cryptococcosis — Even in Those Without Immunosuppression; Think Tularemia