Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for January 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Demand for Medical Office Space High and Increasing
FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Demand for medical office space for ambulatory care is at a high point and looks likely to continue increasing, according to an article published in Forbes.
High Level of Tenofovir Resistance for Those With HIV
FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — HIV resistance to the antiretroviral drug tenofovir (Viread) is common, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
FDA Approves Zepatier for Chronic Hepatitis C
FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 4 infections.
HIV Can Replicate in Lymphoid Tissue Despite ART Success
THURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Even when blood tests of HIV patients on antiretroviral drugs show no sign of the virus, it can still be replicating in lymphoid tissue, according to research published online Jan. 27 in Nature.
AMA Highlights Top Four Issues to Promote in State Legislation
THURSDAY, Jan. 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The top four issues that will be promoted in state legislation in 2016 were discussed at the 2016 American Medical Association (AMA) State Legislative Strategy Conference, according to a report published by the AMA.
~1% of Physicians Account for One-Third of Malpractice Claims
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A small number of physicians account for a considerable proportion of all paid malpractice claims, according to a study published in the Jan. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Alternative Payment Models Can Help Improve Patient Care
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Alternative payment models (APMs) have been and are being developed that can allow physicians to offer new and improved services to their patients, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Guidance Issued for Infants With Suspected Zika Infection
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Interim guidelines have been developed for the evaluation and testing of infants born to mothers who traveled to or resided in an area with Zika virus transmission during pregnancy. The guidelines were published in the Jan. 26 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Too Few Nurses Compliant With Standard Precautions
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than 20 percent of nurses report compliance with all nine Standard Precautions (SP), although adherence is the most effective means of preventing bloodborne pathogen transmission, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Possibility for Health Care Legislation Changes in 2016
TUESDAY, Jan. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Given the current political climate and issues of bipartisan concern, 2016 could see certain changes to health care legislation, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Varicella Zoster Vaccine Linked to Corneal Inflammation
TUESDAY, Jan. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Varicella zoster virus vaccination has been linked to corneal inflammation, but the number of such cases is small, according to research presented recently at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Las Vegas.
Research Suggests Broader Role for HPV in HNSCC Etiology
MONDAY, Jan. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 detection is tied to incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); and other HPVs, including γ11- and γ12-HPV species and β1-HPV-5 type, are also associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to a study published online Jan. 21 in JAMA Oncology.
Patient Satisfaction With Doctors May Be on the Rise
FRIDAY, Jan. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More Americans than ever are satisfied with their visits to the doctor, according to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll in September.
ACOG Supports CDC’s Zika Virus Travel Precautions
FRIDAY, Jan. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued a statement and practice advisory in support of new guidelines aimed at shielding pregnant women from the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
More Information – ACOG
More Information – CDC
Opt-Out Testing in the ER May Boost HIV Testing Rates
THURSDAY, Jan. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — “Opt-out” testing could significantly increase the number of patients who agree to be tested for HIV, according to research published online Jan. 19 in The BMJ.
Blood Test May Help Guide Appropriateness of Antibiotic Rx
THURSDAY, Jan. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say they’re closer to developing a blood test that distinguishes between viral and bacterial respiratory infections. The findings are published in the Jan. 20 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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TB Therapy-Linked Medication Errors Occur Frequently
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Medication errors associated with antituberculosis therapy occur frequently in an inpatient setting, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
CDC Issues Zika-Virus Guidance for Health Care Providers
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health officials issued guidelines Tuesday for health care providers whose pregnant patients may have traveled to countries — especially Brazil — where the mosquito-borne Zika virus has been linked to microcephaly.
Physicians Choose Less Aggressive Care at End of Life
TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physicians facing death are less likely to demand aggressive care, according to two research letters published in the Jan. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on death, dying, and end of life.
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CDC: HIV Testing Rates Still Low Among Teens, Young Adults
TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An estimated 50 percent of young Americans infected with HIV don’t know they have it, according to research published online Jan. 19 in Pediatrics.
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ACP, CDC Offer Antibiotic Rx Guidelines for ARTIs
TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The American College of Physicians and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued new guidelines for prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in adults. The guidelines were published online Jan. 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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CDC: Distribution of Lyme Disease Vectors Has Expanded
TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Ticks that transmit Lyme disease are now found in nearly half of all counties in the United States, a much broader swath than was seen in the late 1990s, according to research published online Jan. 18 in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
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QI Methods Can Cut Antibiotic Duration in Children With uSSTIs
TUESDAY, Jan. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For children hospitalized for uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections (uSSTIs), quality improvement (QI) methods can increase prescriptions for short courses of antibiotics, according to a quality report published online Jan. 18 in Pediatrics.
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Greater Transparency Being Promoted in Research
MONDAY, Jan. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Greater transparency is being promoted in clinical research, according to a health policy brief published online Jan. 14 in Health Affairs.
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FDA Approves Newly Designed Olympus Endoscope
MONDAY, Jan. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A newly designed Olympus duodenoscope was approved Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Design of Physician Satisfaction Surveys Affects Results
MONDAY, Jan. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patient satisfaction scores are influenced by the design and implementation of patient surveys, according to an article published in the January-February issue of Family Practice Management.
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Foreign-Born Students in U.S. Have Higher Case Rate of TB
MONDAY, Jan. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Foreign-born students in the United States have a higher case rate of tuberculosis (TB) than other foreign-born individuals, according to a study published online Jan. 5 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Pertussis Outbreak Described in Preschool in Tallahassee
MONDAY, Jan. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A report published online Jan. 13 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases highlights a 2013 pertussis outbreak among mainly vaccinated preschool-aged children.
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Intensified Tx Doesn’t Up Survival in Tuberculous Meningitis
FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with tuberculous meningitis, intensified antituberculosis treatment is not associated with higher survival than standard treatment, according to a study published in the Jan. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Prophylactic Antibiotic Choice Impacts Post-Hysterectomy SSI
FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For women undergoing hysterectomy, prophylactic antibiotic choice impacts the risk of surgical site infection rates, according to a study published in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Geographic Variation in HPV Oropharyngeal Cancer Prevalence
FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is geographic variation in the proportion of head and neck cancers attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Head & Neck.
WHO: West Africa Ebola Outbreak Is Over
THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The two-year Ebola outbreak in West Africa that claimed more than 11,300 lives is over, the World Health Organization said Thursday.
Scope-Related Infections Higher Than Previously Thought
THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More patients than previously estimated contracted life-threatening infections from contaminated medical scopes in recent years, according to a U.S. Senate committee report released Wednesday.
Health Highlights: Jan. 14, 2016
Zika Virus Concerns May Curb Travel for Pregnant Women
THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women in the United States may be warned against traveling to Latin American and Caribbean countries where mosquitoes are spreading a virus that may cause brain damage in newborns.
Geographic Factors Impact HPV Vaccine Initiation in Teen Girls
THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Initiation of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is highest among teen girls in poorer communities and in populations that are mainly Hispanic or mixed race, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Tickborne Bacteria Identified in Ticks from Texas
THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — About 23 percent of ticks from Texas carry bacterial DNA from at least one of the following: Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Ehrlichia spp., according to a report published online Jan. 13 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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Frozen Samples Comparable to Fresh in Fecal Transplant
TUESDAY, Jan. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Frozen stool samples work just as well as freshly donated samples when treating Clostridium difficile infection through fecal transplantation, according to findings published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Azithromycin Prescribed Despite Risk for QTc Prolongation
TUESDAY, Jan. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Azithromycin is frequently prescribed to hospitalized patients despite the presence of risk factors for QTc prolongation, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
More Testing, Treatment Could Dramatically Cut New HIV Cases
FRIDAY, Jan. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — As many as two-thirds of new HIV infections could be prevented in men having sex with men (MSM) if more men were tested for the virus, more were treated, and more who don’t have HIV took medication to prevent infection, a new Dutch study estimates. The study is published in the Jan. 6 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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CDC: TB Potentially Passed From Zoo Elephants to People
FRIDAY, Jan. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Transmission of tuberculosis from infected captive elephants to humans may be possible with long-term, close contact with the animals, according to research published in the Jan. 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Trio of Papers Reveal Lessons Learned From Ebola Epidemic
THURSDAY, Jan. 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A trio of papers published in the Jan. 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reveal some of what has been learned about the Ebola virus.
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For HIV-Infected, Number of Daily Pills Decreasing
TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For HIV-infected patients, the number of pills and doses of antiretrovirals has decreased over the past seven years, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Many Patients Using E-Mail As First Method of Provider Contact
TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic conditions, the ability to communicate with their doctor via e-mail may help improve their health, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in the American Journal of Managed Care.
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History of Asthma May Be Linked to Shingles Risk in Adults
MONDAY, Jan. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with a history of asthma may be more likely to develop herpes zoster, researchers report online Dec. 28 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Not All PCPs Strongly Recommend HPV Vaccine
MONDAY, Jan. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Pediatricians and family physicians (FPs) do not always strongly recommend the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to a study published online Jan. 4 in Pediatrics.
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β-Genus Human Papillomavirus Poses Skin Cancer Risk
MONDAY, Jan. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — β-genus human papillomavirus (β-HPV) is a risk factor for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in otherwise healthy individuals, according to a review published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Dermatology.
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