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Infection

Prostate Biopsies Rarely Lead to Hospitalization

Jody A. Charnow January 12, 2012

Hospital admissions related to a prostate needle biopsy (PNB) are on the increase, but they occur in less than 1% of men who undergo PNB and are not associated with excess mortality, researchers concluded in an online report in European Urology.

Hemodialysis Patients at Higher Risk for Herpes Zoster

Jody A. Charnow December 23, 2011

Patients on long-term hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk of herpes zoster compared with the general population, according to researchers.

Program Introduced to Prevent Infections in Chemo Patients

Stephan Cho October 27, 2011

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launching a new program to help prevent infections in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.

Kidney Graft Loss Due to BK Virus Need Not Prevent Retransplantation

Jody A. Charnow October 26, 2011

BOSTON—Retransplantation after kidney graft loss due to BK virus nephropathy appears to be safe and feasible. However, replacing alemtuzumab with basiliximab may be necessary to achieve optimal outcomes in retransplanted patients, according to data presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America annual meeting.

Acute Transplant Rejection Rate Lower with Alemtuzumab

John Schieszer October 25, 2011

BOSTON—Alemtuzumab use is associated with a lower incidence of acute rejection and infection compared to rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) induction in kidney and pancreas transplant recipients, regardless of age or ethnicity, according to a new study presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America annual meeting.

Study Makes a Case for AVF Use in Pediatric Hemodialysis Patients

John Schieszer October 25, 2011

BOSTON—Central venous catheters (CVCs) for hemodialysis (HD) access are responsible for a high incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections in children, according to data presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of American annual meeting.

Reduced Renal Function Raises Risk of Serious Infections

Jody A. Charnow October 11, 2011

Decreased kidney function places elderly individuals at higher risk of infection- related hospitalization, according to a study.

German Sprouts Blamed for E. coli Illness Outbreak

Jody A. Charnow June 13, 2011

Tainted raw bean and seed sprouts grown in Germany spread the strain of Escherichia coli that caused an outbreak of enterohemorrhagic illness and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) there and in other European countries, investigators concluded.

Probe into German E. coli Illness Outbreak Continues

Jody A. Charnow June 08, 2011

Investigators continue to look for the source of a strain of Escherichia coli responsible for a severe outbreak of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhea primarily centered in Germany but which has sickened individuals in other European countries.

Flu Vaccine Safe, Lowers Death Risk Post Tx

John Schieszer May 02, 2011

Influenza vaccination in the first year after renal transplantation is safe and is associated with a lower risk of subsequent allograft loss and death, a study found.

Ofloxacin May Prevent UTIs in Renal Graft Recipients

John Schieszer April 05, 2011

Prophylactic antibiotic with ofloxacin (OFLO) may significantly decrease the one-year incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and acute pyelonephritis (APN) in renal transplant recipients, according to French researchers.

Infections Linked to Covered Stents Used To Treat AV Graft Pseudoaneurysms

John Schieszer March 30, 2011

CHICAGO—Using covered stents to treat pseudoaneurysms in arteriovenous (AV) grafts significantly increases the risk of graft infection, a study found.

Long-Term Prophylaxis Cuts CVC Infection Risk

Jody A. Charnow March 10, 2011

Long-term use of a topical antibiotic application at central venous catheter (CVC) exit sites in hemodialysis (HD) patients may result in a sustained decrease in all CVC-related infections, according to a Canadian study.

AUA Releases First Guidelines for Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Jody A. Charnow March 01, 2011

The American Urological Association (AUA) has released the first clinical guidelines for diagnosing and treating interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).

Herpes Zoster Incidence High In Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Jody A. Charnow February 02, 2011

Recipients of solid organ transplants (SOT) have a high incidence of post-transplant herpes zoster (HZ), according to researchers.

Clot Breaker Reduces Hemodialysis Catheter Failure Risk

Jody A. Charnow January 31, 2011

Use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) instead of heparin once weekly as a locking solution for central venous catheters in hemodialysis (HD) patients significantly decreases the risk of catheter malfunction and bacteremia compared with using heparin three times a week, according to Canadian researchers.

Risk Factors for S. aureus Infections Post-Tx

John Schieszer January 04, 2011

The infections are more likely to occur in younger transplant recipients.

Recurrent UTIs After Renal Transplants

John Schieszer October 11, 2010

BOSTON—Older age, female gender, and delayed graft function are among the independent risk factors for recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) among renal transplant recipients.

Kidney Transplant Centers Embracing Influenza Vaccination

Jody A. Charnow October 01, 2010

Transplant programs in the United States have increasingly embraced influenza vaccination guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers concluded.

Post-Transplant Prophylaxis for One Month May Be Enough

John Schieszer September 17, 2010

BOSTON—National guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation recommend antibiotic prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia for at least six months after renal transplantation. Findings from a new study, however, suggest that just one month may be adequate.

Acute Graft Pyelonephritis Does Not Adversely Affect Long-Term Transplant Outcomes

Jody A. Charnow August 31, 2010

Acute graft pyelonephritis (AGPN) in renal transplant recipients does not impair long-term graft function, according to Spanish researchers.

Buccal Tablets for Oropharyngeal Candidiasis Cleared

Jody A. Charnow May 21, 2010

The FDA has approved Oravig (miconazole) buccal tablets for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in adults and childen aged 16 years and older.

Kidney Cancer Linked to Hepatitis C Virus

Jody A. Charnow May 11, 2010

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases a person's risk for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a study found.

Donor Race May Affect Survival of HCV-Infected Renal Transplant Patients

Jody A. Charnow May 04, 2010

SAN DIEGO—Non-black renal transplant patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have better survival if they receive a kidney from a non-black rather than a black donor, data show.

Low-Dose Fluconazole Prophylaxis After Renal Transplantation is Safe and Effective

Jody A. Charnow May 03, 2010

SAN DIEGO—Low-dose fluconazole is safe and highly effective for antifungal prophylaxis after kidney transplantation, according to a study conducted by researchers at University of Utah Health Care in Salt Lake City.

Acute Kidney Injury Boosts Mortality In Pneumonia Patients

Delicia Honen Yard April 26, 2010

Acute kidney injury (AKI) increases the risk of death for people hospitalized for even mild-to-moderate community-acquired pneumonia.

HCV-Infected Kidneys May Help HCV-Infected Recipients

Delicia Honen Yard April 09, 2010

Although kidneys infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) were 2.6 times more likely than HCV-free donor kidneys to be discarded than used for transplantation, HCV-positive patients may well derive some benefit from receiving these organs, according to a report in the American Journal of Transplantation (online ahead of print).

Post-Transplant Fungal Infections Remain Problematic

Jody A. Charnow March 30, 2010

Fungal infections, especially invasive candidiasis and invasive aspergillosis, remain problematic among solid organ transplant recipients (SOT), but overall mortality appears to have improved, new findings confirm.