Expert review of anti-infective therapy
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Low virulent Citrobacter koseri can cause life threatening infections. Neonates and other immunocompromised patients are particularly susceptible to infection from C. koseri. ⋯ The rational choice of antimicrobial therapy for Citrobacter infections is a challenge for clinicians because there is a sustained increase in antibacterial resistance. We reviewed antimicrobial agents used for C. koseri infections in this review.
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Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther · Aug 2014
ReviewIncidence and clinical management of oral human papillomavirus infection in men: a series of key short messages.
Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are less prevalent than genital and anal infections. However, the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas has increased significantly over the last 2 decades in several countries. At least 90% of these cancers are associated with oncogenic type HPV16. ⋯ Nevertheless, little is known about the progression of oral HPV infection to cancer, and it remains unclear which medical interventions should be applied to modify the natural history of the disease. This narrative review aimed at non-experts in HPV infection provides an update on oral HPV infection and its clinical management in men. Furthermore, using the cervix as a reference anatomical site, the lessons learned from investigations on cervical HPV infection are also addressed.
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Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther · Aug 2014
ReviewThe coagulation system in melioidosis: from pathogenesis to new treatment strategies.
Melioidosis, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a dreadful disease common in South-East Asia and Northern Australia and is characterized by chronic suppurative lesions and pneumonia. Melioidosis may evolve into severe sepsis with multi-organ failure with high mortalities, despite proper antibiotic therapy. ⋯ In particular, a procoagulant state together with downregulation of anticoagulant pathways and activation of fibrinolysis are present, all closely interrelated with parameters of inflammation. This review presents an overview of recent studies in which the role of coagulation, anti-coagulation and fibrinolysis during melioidosis was investigated both in patients and in experimental settings.
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Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther · Jul 2014
ReviewInterferon-free therapies for chronic hepatitis C: toward a hepatitis C virus-free world?
About 2% of the world's population is estimated to be chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). These chronic carriers are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and its complications. Successful treatment of HCV infection is associated with improved quality of life and increased survival. ⋯ This review focuses on the most recently reported data on the various interferon-free combinations used (namely, sofosbuvir-based combinations, the ABT-450/ombitasvir/dasabuvir/ribavirin combination, the daclatasvir/asunaprevir combination, and the MK-5172/MK-8742 combination). All these combinations yielded amazing results in terms of efficacy (90-100%), tolerability and safety. If the problem of the high cost is overcome, interferon-free therapies will lead to what has long been a chimera, namely, an HCV-free world.
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Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther · Jul 2014
EditorialUndiagnosed invasive candidiasis: incorporating non-culture diagnostics into rational prophylactic and preemptive antifungal strategies.
The insensitivity of blood cultures for diagnosing invasive candidiasis fuels prophylactic and preemptive antifungal treatment. Assays like serum β-D-glucan or mannan/anti-mannan detection can identify blood culture-negative invasive candidiasis, but their roles in guiding antifungal therapy are undefined. We propose that non-culture tests can be incorporated into rational management strategies, based on clinical setting. ⋯ With pre-test likelihoods of 10 and 33%, positive/negative predictive values are 20/94% and 54/79%, respectively. Based on these data, negative and positive β-D-glucan results likely will be most useful for discontinuing prophylaxis among low-risk to moderate-risk patients (pre-test likelihoods ∼3-10%), and triggering preemptive therapy among moderate-risk to high-risk patients (pre-test likelihoods ∼10-25%), respectively. In extremely high-risk patients, universal prophylaxis is likely to be the best strategy.