What Is Bacteremia? Human blood is supposed to be a sterile environment. Bacteremia is defined as the presence and detection of bacteria in blood. The body has several defense mechanisms against this, mainly barrier and immunologic defenses. There are several…
Introduction Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States has evolved over the past three decades from an untreatable illness that predictably led to death to a chronic disease that can be medically managed, with life expectancy for many…
Introduction Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) contribute to the majority of reportable communicable diseases worldwide. More than a million STIs are acquired every day worldwide, with an estimated 357 million new infections annually with gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, or trichomoniasis. Furthermore, there…
Introduction Sepsis is among the oldest medical conditions described, yet remains a leading cause of death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1.5 million people in the United States are affected each year, with a resulting 250,000…
Introduction Vector-borne infections include diseases caused by diverse pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites) that are transmitted to humans by a variety of vectors such as ticks, mosquitoes, lice, tsetse flies, sandflies, triatome bugs, blackflies, mites, and snails. Vectors are typically blood-sucking…
A diagnostic hypothesis for a suspected central nervous system (CNS) infection has two components: an anatomic and a microbiologic or etiologic diagnosis. The anatomic diagnosis localizes the inflammation to a specific part of the CNS. The microbiologic or etiologic diagnosis…
Infectious Arthritis Infectious arthritis is defined as infection of one or more joints. It can be caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Acute Bacterial Arthritis Introduction Native joint septic arthritis is an uncommon illness, with a reported incidence in…
Introduction Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are among the most commonly occurring bacterial infections, and their frequency approaches 10% of hospital admissions for infections in the United States. Many factors contribute to the increase in awareness of SSTIs: the…
Introduction Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases, both in ambulatory and hospital settings, and is a major cause of antimicrobial use. This is especially relevant in the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance, and in…
Esophagitis Esophagitis is an inflammatory mucosal injury disorder that may be caused by infectious agents and local irritants. The inflammation may present with substernal pain, odynophagia, and occasionally dysphagia. The risk factors for esophageal inflammatory disorders may be iatrogenic (i.e.,…