Dr. Garcia takes a close look at how large animal bites of can cause significant morbidity to human victims. She first reviews exposures due to large cats, including lions and tigers. She then discusses bites due to bears. Next, she discusses exposures due to reptiles, including venomous snakes. She emphasizes the knowledge and tools that infectious diseases specialists and patients need to know to prevent exposures and to treat them after they occur.
Dr. Gllava reviews the value of the procalcitonin laboratory test as an inflammatory marker useful in making treatment decisions in infectious diseases patients. First, she introduces the idea of a biomarker: a laboratory assay that is useful in detecting inflammatory states. She then explains the advantages and disadvantages of procalcitonin as an ideal biomarker. Dr. Gllava goes on to describe the current recommendations for the use of procalcitonin in specific infectious conditions and reviews the body of scientific evidence for its use. Lastly, she reviews how hospitals can utilize procalcitonin-based algorithms to improve clinical care and promote antimicrobial stewardship.
Dr. Moore Pardo’s comprehensive timeline of HIV and AIDS spans the last 40 years of the history of HIV infection. She covers the important decade of the 1980’s, when the epidemic was first recognized, the virus identified, and public awareness of the syndrome was heightened by the deaths of celebrities such as Rock Hudson. She then discusses drug development and the age of HAART in the 1990s. The decade of the 2000s focused upon access to care and curbing the epidemic on an international scale with programs like PEPFAR and private philanthropy initiatives. She closes by looking at where we are in the HIV epidemic over the last decade as the medical community begins to discuss a possible end to new cases of HIV in the US by 2030.
Dr. Klinkova reviews CSF device-associated infections, an important potential source of morbidity for neurosurgical patients. She first discusses risk factors, and then transitions to discuss the pathogenesis and microbiology of shunt infections. Next, she reviews the typical clinical presentation of patients who present with the syndrome, and then discusses diagnostic pearls for identifying patients with CSF device infections. She then reviews the management of these patients including the principles of antibiotic selection. Lastly, Dr. Klinkova covers CSF device-associated infection prophylaxis.
Dr. Sandin provides a general overview of identification techniques for Mycobacterial organisms. He discusses and outlines classification systems for the Mycobacteria that are human pathogens. He then discusses laboratory stains that are useful in identifying Mycobacteria and reviews other diagnostic methods which have become essential to Mycobacterial species identification, including the various nucleic amplification-based methods. Various pathology pearls of Mycobacterial identification are also mentioned. Lastly, he discusses two clinical cases involving acid fast organisms.
Dr. Oehler conducts a lively quiz session regarding infectious diseases historical figures and events dating from 600 BC to 1900. In this fast paced and humorous podcast, listeners are exposed to the accomplishments of infectious disease titans such as Hippocrates, Anton Van Leewenhoek, Ignaz Semmelweis, and John Snow. After listening to this podcast, participants will have a much broader sense of the legacy of infectious diseases history as well as some other fascinating trivia that will entertain and amaze!
To enjoy the companion lecture to this one regarding 20th Century ID events, please watch this presentation:
https://idpodcasts.net/podcasts/dates-in-id-20th-century-edition/
Dr. Jamie Morano reviews sexually transmitted infections among MSMs (men who have sex with men). She discusses current sexually transmitted infection screening, testing, and treatment guidelines for the group. The use of preexposure prophylaxis for MSMs is also introduced, and includes information on eligibility and an implementation strategy for patients. Lastly, Dr. Morano touches upon HIV screening and rapid treatment approaches to care.
Dr. Jamie Morano reviews HIV infection. She starts out by presenting up to date statistics about the current epidemiology of HIV infection across the US and Florida. She then goes on to discuss the HIV life cycle, and how various antiretroviral treatments appear to interact with the virus at different points of the viral reproductive process. HIV resistance mechanisms are also addressed. Lastly, she shares her recommendations on strategies useful to selecting an ideal antiretroviral regimen for an HIV positive patient.
Dr. Baluch reviews the topic of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in individuals who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCST). The author begins by reviewing risk factors for IFIs. She then discusses what constitutes an IFI. She differentiates infections caused by yeasts versus those due to molds, and discusses the assessment and management of invasive candida disease. Next, Dr. Baluch discusses non candida molds, including aspergillus, fusarium, and Mucor as well as atypical pathogens such as Pneumocystis. She closes with a discussion of antifungal therapy and what constitutes the ideal fungal agent.
