An ongoing dialogue on HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases,
October 29th, 2015
The Most Important HIV Study at IDWeek 2015
After reporting my choice for the most important HIV study at ICAAC, I received this email from a colleague: If that’s the most important study, I really didn’t miss much … Now she has notoriously high standards — hard to impress her — but her opinion notwithstanding, I still think the STRIIVING study has some important messages we […]
October 24th, 2015
Pumpkin-Flavored ID Link-o-Rama
As the leaves change colors and fall from the trees, the days grow shorter and colder, and pumpkin-colored and flavored merchandise shows up everywhere, I ask you this important question: What precisely are the infectious risks of bobbing for apples? Off we go. Receiving antibiotics in childhood is associated with weight gain. The important finding in this study […]
October 17th, 2015
Dear Flu Vaccine: Please Improve!
Dear Flu Vaccine, As the supply of you and your brethren have arrived in our clinics, on our hospital floors, and in pharmacies, I thought it would be a good time to reach out and tell you how to get better. That’s right — here, free of charge, is a to-do list for how you can improve. Understand, I’m one […]
October 13th, 2015
Yes, There Are Important HIV Studies at ICAAC and IDWeek — Here’s One
Both ICAAC and IDWeek (formerly IDSA) are now over, IDWeek ending this past Sunday. These are the two large Infectious Diseases scientific meetings that take place each year in the Fall. They’ve been battling it out for years for attendance, but it looks like finally IDWeek (formerly IDSA) has won the Fall slot — ICAAC is moving next year […]
October 7th, 2015
The Future of Diagnostic Microbiology, in 17 Minutes!
Over at Open Forum Infectious Diseases, I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Angela Caliendo about the latest advances in diagnostic microbiology. She touches on molecular testing in general, rapid pathogen identification (especially with MALDI-TOF, everyone’s favorite acronym), “syndromic” diagnostic testing for respiratory infections and diarrhea, use of Xpert for TB even here in the United States, […]
October 1st, 2015
WHO Decision to Recommend Treatment for All with HIV an Easy One — Now Comes the Hard Part
In the newspaper today — and yes, we still do get it delivered (some habits die hard) — is this headline: Millions More Need H.I.V. Treatment, W.H.O. Says It’s true — these updated guidelines say that all should be treated soon after diagnosis, regardless of CD4 cell count or whether they have symptoms. Now, a certain […]
Paul E. Sax, MD
Associate Editor
NEJM Clinician
Biography | Disclosures & Summaries
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