Diagnostics

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Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jan 19, 2022

Paper highlights use of pre-adapted phage against a pan-resistant infection

A new paper in Nature Communications describes the use of a pre-adapted bacteriophage in combination with antibiotics to treat a patient with a fracture-related, pandrug-resistant (PDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

  • Phage therapy for fracture-related infection
  • New rapid diagnostic test

Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jan 11, 2022

Review finds too few innovative drugs in antibiotic development pipeline

A new review of the antibiotic development pipeline finds that there are relatively few clinically differentiated products in late-stage clinical development, especially against critical, multidrug-resistant pathogens, an international team of researchers reported yesterday in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

  • Antibiotic pipeline analysis
  • Diagnostics collaboration

News Scan for Dec 07, 2021

Study finds high level of inappropriate testing for fungal disease

A study conducted at a large teaching hospital in Tokyo found that most tests used to diagnose invasive fungal disease were inappropriate, Japanese researchers reported yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

  • Unneeded tests for fungal disease
  • CDC on H5N6 avian flu risk
  • Fish Salmonella outbreak
  • French lab worker CJD death

News Scan for Oct 28, 2021

Rapid test linked to improved antibiotic therapy for bloodstream infections

Use of a rapid diagnostic test in patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) was associated with shorter times to optimal antibiotic therapy and antibiotic de-escalation, researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

  • Rapid diagnostics for bloodstream infections
  • Low flu vaccine uptake in some groups
  • H5N1 avian flu in UK swans

News Scan for Oct 26, 2021

Urinary antigen testing may help target antibiotics for pneumonia

Positive pneumococcal urinary antigen testing (PUAT) results among patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was associated with earlier time to de-escalation of antibiotics, according to a single-center study published last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

  • Pneumococcal urine test and antibiotic Rx
  • Europe watching early flu

Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Oct 08, 2021

Narrow-spectrum antibiotics found safe, effective for moderate pneumonia

A clinical trial in the Netherlands found that an antimicrobial stewardship intervention safely reduced broad-spectrum antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with moderately severe pneumonia, Dutch researchers reported yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

  • Narrow-spectrum antibiotics for pneumonia
  • Diagnostic test for resistant TB
  • Flu vaccine impact on antibiotic prescribing

News Scan for Oct 04, 2021

FDA clears new rapid molecular test for antibiotic resistance genes

Diagnostics company OpGen announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a new rapid molecular diagnostic tool that could aid in treating antibiotic-resistant or non-susceptible infections.

  • New diagnostic tool for superbugs
  • Yellow fever in Nigeria
  • Plague vaccine contract

News Scan for Jul 07, 2021

WHO recommends new rapid molecular tests for TB

The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued an update to its consolidated guidelines on the detection of tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB.

  • Rapid molecular tests for TB
  • Antimicrobial stewardship in Oman
  • Chikungunya vaccine breakthrough designation
  • Low global flu levels

Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jun 10, 2021

FDA finalizes guidance for topical, injectable antibiotics used in animals

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it has finalized guidelines to bring the remaining medically important antibiotics still sold over-the-counter (OTC) for use in animals under the supervision of veterinarians.

  • FDA animal antibiotics guidance
  • Funding for rapid susceptibility test

Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jun 08, 2021

CARB-X to fund development of rapid diagnostic test for sepsis

CARB-X announced today that is awarding Tucson, Arizona–based Accelerate Diagnostics $578,000 to develop a diagnostic test for sepsis based on new fiber optic technology.

  • CARB-X funds for sepsis diagnostic
  • Japanese funding for new antibiotics

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