Infectious Disease

You may have patients with plans for far-flung summer travel. But have they planned for necessary vaccinations? See if you can advise the family in our travel quiz on appropriate prevention for all.

Hepatitis, measles, smallpox, polio, mumps, influenza, Fifth disease-a close look at the value of vaccination past, present, and future.

More than 1 in 7 of the 288 measles cases reported so far this year have led to hospitalization, according to a press release from the CDC. The respiratory disease is serious and highly contagious. Make sure you are familiar with the signs and symptoms. More, here.

It's been a while since "the measles" was a household term in the United States, but 13 states so far this year have seen outbreaks. Have you seen a case lately? Would you recognize the virus prodrome?

More than 100 million children per year now are immunized against vaccine preventable diseases. But 6 of these infections still claim hundreds of thousands of lives-can you spot them in a line-up?

Diagnosing and managing infectious diseases can be challenging. This week’s photo quiz offers a variety of presentations to test your acumen.

Bacterial meningitis presents with the triad of headache, fever, altered mental status. Stiff neck, vomiting, and photophobia may also be present.

There are no guidelines for the workup for classic FUO. Diagnostic modalities are guided by the spectrum of differentials as well as local prevalence of disease.

Presenting complaints were fever, nausea, and lower abdominal pain that worsened with walking. Osteomyelitis is not commonly included in a differential for abdominal pain. This case is different.

Potential for infection is everywhere for patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Persons who are obese are at increased risk for catching the flu and other potentially serious respiratory diseases.

The first confirmed case in North America this year has led the CDC to issue a health advisory reminding physicians about the symptoms and treatment.

Men with high testosterone levels may have weakened immune systems, which may be why their immune systems respond less strongly to vaccinations.

So many vaccine options available-trivalent, quadravalent, intradermal, high-dose, intranasal, “made” in egg, dog, or insect lines-so many ways to go wrong. Here, 2 cautionary tales.

Recent travel to the Caribbean is the key clue that led to the diagnosis of dengue fever, which caused maculopapular rash, fever, headaches, and body aches.

Blepharitis caused by lice; lung cancer in former smokers; infection in chronic kidney disease. . . . here: 5 questions on 5 different disorders to challenge you again this week.

From lacy and reticular and limited to the cheeks, this rash quickly covered the child’s body and transformed into a solid rash. Your dx?

For which of these patients would you give the 23-valent pneumoccocal vaccine?

Here a close-up look at fungal, eosinophilic pustular, and steroid-induced folliculitis.

Patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV can develop rapidly progressive liver fibrosis.

First of all, it is important to know what exactly is meant by “the best.”

Here: a close-up look at gram-positive and -negative cases of folliculitis.

Discitis, a bacterial infection within the vertebral disc, typically results from seeding during an episode of bacteremia.

A 46-year-old man with a history of HIV infection presents to the emergency department for left flank pain. A lateral x-ray film of the patient’s lumbar spine is shown. What is the diagnosis?

For patients with asthma or COPD, PL554 has the potential to both reverse bronchodilation and reduce inflammation more quickly and with fewer adverse effects.

Awareness of medical conditions and drugs that can suppress the immune system or cause other complications is key to providing safe and appropriate care for immunosuppressed patients. Details here.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalisa rare condition, is characterized by gaseous cysts within the submucosal and subserosal spaces of the bowel wal

Here: 5 things (at least) you may not know about human viral hepatitis.

Which test should you order if you suspect Clostridium difficile infection-and how often do you check the stool for the C difficile toxin? Here: the answer-and explanation.