An article in The Telegraph caught my eye the other day. Headline “First new antibiotic in 30 years discovered in major breakthrough”. I was embarrassed to be learning about Teixobactin not from a scientific journal but from regular news media but hey, learning is learning. The article highlighted a report from a recent publication of […]
Vancomycin – Fools Gold or the Holy Grail?
I’ve meant to write a post about the antibiotic vancomycin for many years. It is an antibiotic that has become a work-horse in so many hospitals. Many patients refer to it as “the powerful stuff”. Included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, the most important medicines needed in a basic health system, it […]
Surgical Complications including Infection from a Patient’s Viewpoint
Recently, I read a tale in the Washington Post titled “The surgeon said he could fix the injured arm. He had an odd definition of ‘fix’” in which the author described his harrowing 8 year surgical complications odyssey to repair a left distal radial fracture and elbow dislocation acquired when he fell off a ladder […]
Will Antibiotics Work When You Really Need Them?
It’s the CDC’s GET SMART ABOUT ANTIBIOTICS week. Do you know antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses such as a cold or a sore throat? Get some rest and drink your fluids. Your body will take care of the rest. The abuse of antibiotics is a serious concern, fueling the development of antibiotic-resistant […]
Superbug Sweeps through US media
The news waves are overflowing with reports that “the new superbug” which originated in India has reached the US shores and is “gaining ground”. Here and here. I don’t mean to downplay anything but I’m just a tad annoyed. So let me count the reasons why: First, it was bound to happen. Microbes are smarter than we […]