It has been a little while since I asked a clinical question of you, the readers. I actually received a pretty good response last time and some interesting thoughts so I figured I would post a question that was recently asked of me: “What is your opinion on the ‘standard of care’ of the need … Read more
I have blogged a number of times about the questions surrounding some of the unknown, unproven issues surrounding the treatment of osteomyelitis including duration of antibiotic therapy and the “need” for surgical debridement. It continues to amaze me how it does not matter where, or to whom I lecture, if I ask the question “How … Read more
I just returned from the DFCON meeting in Los Angeles, always my favorite scientific conferences of the year (I have blogged about it previously https://www.leinfections.com/diabetic-foot/the-olmos-award-and-dfcon-2010/). My topic this year was “Drugs and Bugs 2011”. Since I gave a similar talk last year I had to try to find a few “hot” topics to update the … Read more
I know that sometimes my posts can be a bit esoteric discussing the minutia of antibiotic dosing, findings in the literature, etc. So, to change gears a bit, I would like to make this a rather basic clinical discussion. I know that some of you may find this too simplistic but given the number of … Read more
For part 2 of this posting on the new Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) MRSA Guidelines I would like to comment on some of the Executive Summary points made about MRSA bone and joint infections and also vancomycin dosing recommendations. I will use a similar format as before with posting the actual text and … Read more
Well, the comments have come in and this is what I received – my comments, if any, are in italics: – Interesting question as I just received a memo from the dental school at the University asking my preferences regarding antibiotic prophylaxis with implant (hardware) patients and dental surgery. The letter outlined the 2003 decision … Read more
With this blog entry I am going to try something a bit different. I know that there is a good readership of my posts but, to date, I have been somewhat disappointed in the number of comments and interactions I have received from you, the readers. I stated in my very first post: The whole … Read more
I received this question from a reader: In suspected osteomyelitis do you stop antibiotics prior to obtaining a bone culture? For how long? This comment came in under my entry on the VULCAN trial but I actually covered the question in a post almost exactly a year ago. I am reprinting my response here for … Read more
Well, as I expected and predicted in my previous post, the FDA did not waste much time approving ceftaroline (trade name – Teflaro) for complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI). http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm231594.htm (thanks to Lee Rogers, DPM for forwarding me this link). What does this mean for those of us treating lower extremity infections? It … Read more
For a number of years it was widely felt that the first of the new so-called “5th Generation”, or anti-MRSA cephalosporins would be ceftobiprole. This drug, a joint venture by the Swiss company Basilea and Johnson & Johnson had come under some fire from the FDA (see my blog entry from Dec 31, 2009) and … Read more