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For those that may wear an Infection Control hat or want to buff up on rapid diagnostics, a webinar is being offered at 1p (EST).  Registration is available at this site.  Details below:

Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM Eastern (US) Time

Reducing healthcare–associated infections requires an integrated effort from all staff responsible for patient care, including laboratorians. This presentation will discuss the laboratory’s critical role in this endeavor, as well as important diagnostic tests that can facilitate infection control decisions.

At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• • Locate recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for infection control of multidrug-resistant pathogens.
• • Identify infection control decisions that are most likely to require special laboratory testing.
• • List tests that can guide infection control decisions.

First came the wave of new agents aimed at resistant gram positive organisms, now the first novel serine beta-lactam/beta lactamase combination with expanded activity against multidrug resistant gram negative agents.The Anti-Infective Drug Advisory Committee (AIDAC) Meeting meets December 5, 2014 to discuss the new drug application (NDA) for ceftazidime-avibactam, submitted by Cerexa Inc., for the proposed indications of: Complicated Intra-abdominal Infections, Complicated Urinary Tract Infections, including Acute Pyelonephritis and Limited Use Indication: Aerobic Gram-negative Infections with Limited Treatment Options. 

This year, Get Smart About Antibiotics Week is being observed during November 17–23, 2014. This is an annual observance to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate prescribing and use. The observance is a key component of CDC's efforts to improve antibiotic stewardship in communities, in health care facilities, and on farms in collaboration with state-based programs and others. Get Smart About Antibiotics Week coincides with many global antibiotic resistance observances, including those in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Information on scheduled activities and how to get involved in combating antibiotic resistance is available at http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/week.

For those who work in acute care hospitals, given the recent events in Dallas, TX, would encourage review of the CDC website for the latest and most reliable information on Ebola virus and the response needed at the local level particularly at referral centers.  There are also links to the potential for IND use of ZMapp.  The CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) program continues to organize webinars.  The American Hospital Association will be conducting a webinar program tomorrow October 17th at 11am EST,

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection.  It is the first approved regimen that is interferon or ribavirin sparing.

For more information, please visit: Harvoni.

Feb. 2-3, 2015. This two-day training course is designed for physicians of infectious diseases, healthcare epidemiologists, microbiologists, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers who are involved with creating, implementing, or improving an antimicrobial stewardship program for their healthcare institution. It meets the training needs set out in California Bill SB 1311 for Stewardship training. For more information and to register for the conference, visit the Webpage

After initially issuing a complete response and denial of the individual drugs in 2013 to Gilead, the FDA approved the drugs last week.  

Last week the White House announced the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) release of a report to the President, Combating Antibiotic Resistance. The report was released simultaneously with a National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria as well as with a Presidential Executive Order, emphasizing to the Nation the importance of addressing this growing challenge.