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A point-prevalence study of 32 US children's hospitals found that prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics were inappropriately given in 33.0% of pediatric surgical patients. The study, published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, was led by members of the SHARPS Collaborative based at Washington University in St. Louis.
Today Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new MERS-CoV case in Najran, bringing the March tally to three infections, after the ministry reported 18 in February.
Three main hot spots saw no slowdown in cases, and Argentina and Chile became the latest countries in the Americas to report their first cases.
CDC says there are 108 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States.
Today Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new MERS-CoV case in Unayzah, bringing the March tally to two infections, after the ministry reported 18 in February.
A study conducted in a large healthcare system in Colorado found that a multicomponent intervention was associated with increased use of first-line antibiotics among children with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), researchers reported today in Pediatrics.
Washington state now has 18 cases, 10 linked to a nursing home, and 6 deaths.
The risk of being hospitalized within 6 months was more than double in those who had received the most antibiotics.
"The epidemics in the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan are our greatest concern."
Over the weekend and through today, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 7 new MERS-CoV cases: 5 in Riyadh, 1 in Taif, and 1 in Mecca. The new cases bring the February case tally to 18 and the March tally to 1.
Withholding antibiotic therapy until diagnosis of bacterial infections (ie, 4 to 8 hours) seems acceptable in patients other than those who may have septic shock or bacterial meningitis and may be a sound antibiotic stewardship approach, according to a meta-analysis of 60 studies published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
Gene sequences from Snohomish County samples suggest there may be a few hundred undetected cases.
Countries reporting their first cases include the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Scotland, and Luxembourg.
The new cases are in California, Oregon, and Washington state.
Washington state reports the nation's first COVID-19 death, and 2 nursing home cases.
Four health workers who met the criteria for hospital release had positive PCR results 5 to 13 days later.
As concerns deepen about Iran, the WHO is in the process of sending a mission to the country, with UAE help.
The CDC has broadened how it determines persons under investigation.
No new cases of Ebola were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past week, according to an update yesterday from the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving the case count at 3,444. It marks the first time since the outbreak began that no new confirmed cases were reported over a 7-day period.
The World Health Organization (WHO) flu vaccine strain selection committee met this week to assess what strains to include in the 2020-21 Northern Hemisphere flu season and today recommended swapping out three of the strains.
In their report, they recommend replacing egg-based flu vaccine strains:
