An ongoing dialogue on HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases,
September 11th, 2012
Are Fluoroquinolones Really More Dangerous Than Other Antibiotics?
In today’s New York Times, health writer Jane Brody slams quinolone antibiotics: Part of the problem is that fluoroquinolones are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious, perhaps life-threatening bacterial infections like hospital-acquired pneumonia, these antibiotics are frequently prescribed for sinusitis, bronchitis, earaches and other ailments that may resolve on their own or can […]
September 8th, 2012
People Fear EEE and West Nile, but not Influenza — Can Someone Explain Why?
OK, here’s a quick quiz — match the viral infection with the average annual US deaths: 1. Eastern Equine Encephalitis A. 36,000, mostly in the elderly 2. Influenza B. < 10, mostly in the elderly I know, it was an easy one — 1 goes with B, and 2 with A. Here’s a good reference for more […]
August 25th, 2012
On HCV, These Questions Three
In the fastest-moving area of ID drug development, answers are eagerly sought to the following questions three: What does the bad news on BMS-986094 — formerly INX-189 — mean for other investigational HCV nucleotides? Severe cardiotoxicity, fatal in one case, has ended the drug’s development. Importantly, nothing similar has thus far been observed with the structurally-similar IDX184, but that […]
August 17th, 2012
Beeper, An Enthusiastic Farewell!
August 17, 2012, is the first day in over 25 years that I left for work without clipping a beeper to my belt. Yes, our hospital now offers paging through cell phones. Eureka! As I’ve written before, it was a long time coming. Here are some advantages: Spares the embarrassment of wearing a circa-1980s device around non-MD […]
August 15th, 2012
Brush with Greatness: Atul Gawande
I was an English major in college, so when my acceptance to medical school (miraculously) arrived, several people gave me books written by doctors about their experience in the medical profession. “See,” these gifts implied, “Just because you’re going to medical school doesn’t mean you need to become a science drone. Doctors can write too!” […]
August 8th, 2012
Must-Read Piece: “Imagine a World Without AIDS”
With all the hoopla at last month’s International AIDS Conference about ending AIDS and curing AIDS and bringing us an AIDS-free generation, there was plenty of ink spilled on the topic. Ironically, the attention the meeting received was inversely proportional to its scientific content, which was actually fairly light on a content-per-day scale. The meeting […]
July 26th, 2012
Pigs are Flying: Written Consent No Longer Needed for an HIV Test in Massachusetts
Let the record show that as of July 26, 2012, a person in Massachusetts can legally get an HIV test without signing a written consent. Hooray. There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
July 25th, 2012
AIDS Quilt, the Early 1990s, and Sadness
The early 1990s has potentially many associations — the break-up of the Soviet Union, the first Gulf War, the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings, The Lion King, Forest Gump, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and the cancellation of the baseball season, to name a few. But we HIV/ID specialists will […]
July 10th, 2012
Are ID Doctors the Worst Dressed Specialists?
Unusual exchange the other day with one of my (non-ID) colleagues. All dialogue reported verbatim: Non-ID guy: Hi Paul. Me: Hi Jon. [I’m expecting the next line to be: “Quick question: I’ve got a patient with a positive PPD and a history of BCG, etc.” Instead, it’s this bizarre comment:] Non-ID guy: You know, I […]
July 5th, 2012
Home HIV Test Big News — But Why? And What Impact Will It Have?
The recent FDA approval of a home HIV antibody test (OraQuick In-Home HIV Test) was covered just about everywhere. It’s an oral swab test, takes 20-40 minutes, and will be available over-the-counter. How big a news story was it? Several hundred sources featured it on the day of the announcement, and the total count is now well over […]
Paul E. Sax, MD
Associate Editor
NEJM Clinician
Biography | Disclosures & Summaries
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FROM NEJM — Recent Infectious Disease Articles- Challenging Claims of an Autism Epidemic — Misconceptions and a Path Forward January 17, 2026Autism research programs should focus on both causes and effective services and supports. Alarmist claims, chasing of debunked theories of causation, and further stigmatizing autism are counterproductive.
- Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia January 17, 2026A 60-year-old man with recently diagnosed HIV infection presented with a 10-day history of fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. A CT scan of the chest showed diffuse nodules and ground-glass opacities.
- Borrelia burgdorferi Infection and Erythema Migrans January 15, 2026Expansion of the range of the lone star tick, a vector for southern tick-associated rash illness, has led to overlap with the range of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis, which may cause diagnostic uncertainty.
- Primary Palmoplantar Pustulosis January 15, 2026A 60-year-old man with a 30-pack-year smoking history presented with a 2-year history of a painful rash on his palms and soles. Numerous pustules with erosions, crusting, and surrounding erythema were noted.
- Case 2-2026: A 63-Year-Old Man with Pulmonary Nodules, Liver Mass, and Vision Loss January 15, 2026A 63-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of fever, cough, and vision loss in the right eye. He had pulmonary nodules, a liver mass, and multiple brain lesions. A diagnosis was made.
- Challenging Claims of an Autism Epidemic — Misconceptions and a Path Forward January 17, 2026