With the news of the imminent release of the 3rd Edition tentatively scheduled for 9/25 it is time to update the blog. Over the next few days I hope to get a few more posts up covering some recent literature of interest and my experiences at the recent ICAAC meeting. I would also like to bring your attention to the fact that we have posted a Preview of the MRSA Chapter. This is a brand new section of the book covering a vitally important topic that, in earlier editions, only merited a few paragraphs. MRSA has become a primary pathogen to the point that I have begun to pretty much cover virtually ALL of my hospitalized patients as if they have MRSA until proven otherwise. This is what is known as “De-escalation therapy”. You cover the patient broadly, as if they have MRSA, and then “de-escalate” to non-MRSA specific therapy if or when preliminary culture results (or surveillance screening) come back as being negative for MRSA. I cover more about this in the book itself.
The chapter preview includes my “History of Staph” where I review how we have come from the early days of penicillin sensitive staphylococcus, the development of penicillin, beta-lactamase forming staph, penicillinase resistant penicillins and finally MRSA…all in about a 50 year period. The preview section also discusses the most recent classification of MRSA including the differences between CA- and HA-MRSA, clinical presentation and various virulence factors of each. In the non-previewed section I go on to discuss the treatment approach including older and newer agents and importance of “MIC creep” amongst other subjects.
In the near future I hope to have posted the final preview section which will include the beginning of the newly revised diabetic foot infection chapter. This section will include a discussion on the Infectious Diseases Society of America diabetic foot infection classification.
Needless to say, I am really excited about the book finally being published and ready to ship. I hope you enjoy both the preview chapters and the new book itself.
