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Infectious Diseases
Top Medical News
Investigations into the role of small aerosol particles in COVID-19 transmission suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may be an airborne hazard. A recent medRxiv preprint study from Singapore adds to this body of evidence.
Use of tofacitinib for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may lead to reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV), especially among hepatitis B surface antigen-positive (HBsAg+) and HBsAg-negative/hepatitis B core antibody-positive (HBsAg–/HBcAb+) patients, according to a study from Taiwan.
Monitoring estimated oxygen variation (EOV) using a wearable fitness tracker may facilitate early detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom exacerbation and prevent untimely death, according to a new study.
Home-based inspiratory muscle training (IMT) – incorporated into COVID-19 rehabilitation programme – speeds up the recovery of patients in a UK study presented at ERS 2021.
Daily treatment with doxycycline did not shorten recovery time or reduce hospitalization or death in community-dwelling older adults with COVID-19, according to a study from the PRINCIPLE Collaborative Group.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mental health problems have grown common among caregivers of children with cancers, a recent study has found.
Advisers to the US FDA* unanimously voted for emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster dose in people 65 years and older and those at high risk of severe COVID-19.
Special Reports
Same-day pre-event screening for SARS-CoV-2 using antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) may enable the resumption of large-scale indoor events which were halted or had their attendance capacity reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study from Spain presented at ECCMID 2021.
A rapid and affordable test for diagnosing COVID-19 outside the walls of the healthcare units could improve case-finding, contact tracing, and infection control, says an expert during a pre-ECCMID 2021 session.
While RT-PCR is the current gold standard to confirm a SARS-CoV-2 infection, antigen rapid test (ART) for COVID-19 allows for quick detection of SARS-CoV-2 and thus fast triaging of infected patients requiring isolation at the population level, according to studies presented at ECCMID 2021.
Ceftaroline fosamil 600 mg powder for infusion
Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at risk of developing serious infections with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), which require appropriate and adequate antibiotic coverage. Early empirical coverage is pivotal in saving patients’ lives. At a recent webinar co-organized by the Society of Infectious Disease (Singapore) and Pfizer, renowned Professor David Paterson, Professor of Medicine and Director, The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, and Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, discussed the role of newer antimicrobial agents, including ceftazidime-avibactam (Zavicefta) in the management of MDROs in the ICU. Dr Wong Sin Yew, Infectious Disease Physician at Gleneagles Medical Centre and Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Singapore, chaired the event.
Antimicrobial resistance has become increasingly dire as the rapid emergence of drug resistance, especially gram-negative pathogens, has outpaced the development of new antibiotics. At a recent virtual symposium, Dr Hsu Li Yang, Vice Dean (Global Health) and Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases), NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, presented epidemiological data on multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in Asia, while Dr Tan Thuan Tong, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Infectious Diseases, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), focused on the role of ceftazidime-avibactam in MDR GNB infections. Dr Andrea Kwa, Assistant Director of Research, Department of Pharmacy, SGH, joined the panel in an interactive fireside chat, to discuss challenges, practical considerations, and solutions in MDR gram-negative infections. This Pfizer-sponsored symposium was chaired by Dr Ng Shin Yi, Head and Senior Consultant of Surgical Intensive Care, SGH.
The rising incidence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria has become a serious health threat and a major challenge for intensivists. Against a backdrop of high patient mortality and risk factors for infection in intensive care units (ICU), early adequate therapy is of paramount importance. At a recent Pfizer-sponsored symposium, Dr Asok Kurup, Infectious Disease Physician, Singapore presented the implications of MDR gram-negative infections in critically ill patients in Asia, while Dr Kenneth Chan, Respiratory Physician and Intensivist, Singapore highlighted the role of ceftazidime-avibactam (Zavicefta) and shared published real-world data on ceftazidime-avibactam.
Conference Reports
The addition of azithromycin to standard care did not reduce hospitalization or mortality risk in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who underwent ambulatory management, according to results of the ATOMIC2 trial presented at ECCMID 2021.
Universal access to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) may have led to the low prevalence of hepatitis C viraemia among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in The Netherlands, according to a study presented at IAS 2021.
In the 96-week interim analysis of the phase III BRIGHTE study presented at IAS 2021, the gp120 attachment inhibitor fostemsavir showed favourable safety and tolerability, and yielded strong rates of virologic response in heavily treatment-experienced (HTE) adults infected with extensive multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV-1.
The combined regimen of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL) may help treat highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), even with lower doses or shorter treatment duration of linezolid, according to results of the phase III ZeNix trial presented at IAS 2021.
Nearly 2 years into the pandemic, researchers worldwide scramble to find a cure for COVID-19 but are disappointed over and over, as trials churn out unsatisfactory results for various repurposed drugs examined. However, one or two agents have shown promising results in terms of patient survival.
Treatment with the single-tablet regimen of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) leads to sustained viral suppression through 4 years with no treatment-emergent resistance in treatment-naïve people living with HIV (PWH), according to a long-term study presented at IAS 2021.
Sepsis continues to be a chief cause of health loss across the globe despite decreasing age-standardized incidence and mortality, according to a study presented at the Asia Pacific Intensive Care Symposium (APICS) 2021 virtual conference. Moreover, the disorder has particularly high health-related burden in Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and sub-Saharan Africa.
