HIV and ID Observations

February 25th, 2018

Is Self-Administered Postexposure Prophylaxis Another Viable Option for HIV Prevention?

Most of the pivotal trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have used daily therapy. The lone exception is the IPERGAY study. Men at high risk for acquiring HIV took two tablets of tenofovir DF/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC, Truvada) before sex, and one tablet the next 2 days. The strategy was highly effective in preventing HIV acquisition, and intermittent PrEP […]

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February 19th, 2018

Can We Solve the Morass of Outpatient Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy?

If you want to get an ID doctor riled up, here are a few reliable strategies: Get an ID consult on a complex patient just to summarize the chart for your discharge summary. Endorse the view that procedural doctors deserve their vastly higher salaries than MDs in cognitive specialties. Prescribe azithromycin for patients with bad […]

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February 12th, 2018

Shingles Vaccine Video, New Name for C. diff, Flu B Rising, and More — A Pre-Valentine’s Day ID Link-o-Rama

With Valentine’s Day and early spring training baseball both on the horizon this week, it’s obviously time for an extra special ID Link-o-Rama. On to the links, with a bonus non-ID section and a highly recommended video at the end: The ACIP issued its official recommendations for herpes zoster (shingles) immunization. Preferred: the new recombinant […]

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February 5th, 2018

The Four States of Clinical Medicine, and a Movie Review (Sort Of)

I finally saw The Big Sick. And hooray, it’s excellent. 9/10. Based loosely on the real-life courtship between comedian Kumail Nanjiani and writer Emily V. Gordon, the movie has great word of mouth, is making gobs of money for an independent comedy, and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Deserves both the the accolades and […]

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