Researchers have identified a total of four cases of newborn babies with COVID-19 infection in China. In all cases the babies experienced only mild symptoms with none requiring intensive care or mechanical ventilation according to research published in in the European Respiratory Journal. [1] The study was carried out by Dr Zhi-Jiang Zhang and colleagues […]
Category: Infectious diseases
Cheap, quick test identifies pneumonia patients at risk of respiratory failure or sepsis
Madrid, Spain: Spanish researchers in Valencia have identified specific fragments of genetic material that play a role in the development of respiratory failure and sepsis in pneumonia patients. Presenting the research at the European Respiratory Society International Congress [1], Dr Francisco Sanz said the findings could enable doctors to test quickly for these biological markers […]
Treatment with long term, low dose antibiotic could help people born with chronic lung condition
Madrid, Spain: Taking a low dose of the antibiotic azithromycin for six months reduces symptoms for patients with the chronic lung condition primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] PCD is a rare inherited disease that affects people from birth. It causes coughing, a build-up of […]
Babies develop fewer respiratory infections when they have well-connected bacterial networks
Madrid, Spain: Microscopic bacteria, which are present in all humans, cluster together and form communities in different parts of the body, such as the gut, lungs, nose and mouth. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown the extent to which these microbial communities are linked to each other across the body, and how these […]
Baby’s first cold can last longer depending on nose-dwelling bacteria
New research on the types of bacteria living in babies’ noses could offer clues as to why some recover quickly from their first cough or cold, while others suffer for longer. The study, published in ERJ Open Research, suggests that babies who have a wide variety of different bacteria living in their noses tend to […]
Quick and easy test for viral infections reduces hospital admissions and antibiotic use
Paris, France: A quick and easy test for viral infections can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and hospital admissions, according to new research presented to the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] The test, which takes just 50 minutes to obtain results, could save hospitals around €2,500 per patient not admitted to hospital, would help to […]
Four simple tests could help GPs spot pneumonia and reduce unnecessary antibiotics
Testing for fever, high pulse rate, crackly breath sounds, and low oxygen levels could be key to helping GPs distinguish pneumonia from less serious infections, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal. Pneumonia is a severe lung infection that can be life-threatening and often requires treatment with antibiotics. However, it is […]
Market pressures and inadequate production are hampering access to essential antibiotics, including those for treating babies and children
Antibiotics used to treat a variety of common bacterial infections are becoming more difficult to access, mostly because the drugs are less profitable for manufacturers to produce and market. Writing in a commentary in Clinical Microbiology and Infection [1], researchers say the problem is particularly acute for formulations needed to treat sick babies and children. […]
Symptoms of cystitis probably caused by bacterial infection, even when tests are negative
The majority of women suffering with pain when urinating, or needing to urinate often or urgently probably do have a bacterial infection, even when nothing is detected by standard urine testing. Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) such as cystitis are common in women but, in around a quarter of cases, no infection is […]
Measuring immune response could be key to differentiating malaria from other infections
Vienna, Austria: Analysing a patient’s immune response could be key to quickly and accurately diagnosing malaria, according to research presented on World Malaria Day at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Malaria affects around 200 million people around the world but its non-specific symptoms, coupled with a lack of access […]