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Synopsis: Shortly after patronizing a restaurant, 117 individuals developed an illness characterized by fever, myalgia, chills, and headache. Respiratory symptoms were present in fewer than half. Legionella anisa was found to be the cause of this outbreak of Pontiac fever.
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Hypothyroidism and Pregnancy; Anti-Depressants and the Risk of Suicide; FDA Actions; Brief Notes.
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Braun BI, et al. Preventing central venous catheter-associated primary bloodstream infections: Characteristics of practices among hospitals participating in the evaluation of processes and indicators in infection control (EPIC) study.
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New guidelines for the treatment of bacterial rhinosinusitis were published in the January supplement of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery by the Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership. The goal of the guidelines is to reduce the use of antibiotics for viral infections and to use the most appropriate antibiotic for bacterial infections.
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Musher and colleagues in Houston examined the usefulness of examination of Gram-stained sputum specimens and of sputum culture for the diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia. They included all 105 patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia seen over 6 years at their VA hospital, and examined the results of the first sputum specimen submitted to the laboratory.
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A patient with a disease resembling anthrax led to the identification of anthrax-like virulence factors in an isolate of Bacillus cereus.
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The FDA has approved Telithromycin, the first Ketolide antibiotic. Ketolides are semisynthetic derivatives of the macrolide erythromycin that have activity against a wide spectrum of respiratory bacterial pathogens including multi-drug resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. Telithromycin, which is a once-a-day oral tablet, is marketed by Aventis as Ketek.