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Variability in Barrier Precautions Use Raises Red Flag About Arterial Catheter Infection Risk

An expert in medical device-related infections is trying to raise awareness of the variability that exists in following guidelines designed to help prevent catheter-associated infections, particularly in arterial catheters (ACs) used in intensive care units (ICUs) and operating rooms (ORs). Leonard A. Mermel, DO, ScM, medical director of the epidemiology and infection control department at Rhode Island Hospital, and his colleagues recently published results of a survey (Cohen, et al. 2015)  showing significant variability regarding how clinicians manage arterial catheters in ICU patients and that these practices may increase risk of infection.

Researchers Investigate Dengue Virus Transmission

With 400 million people infected annually across 100 countries, dengue virus poses a significant global health threat. To further research into dengue virus transmission, a project within the New Mexico State University Department of Biology has been awarded $400,000 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the National Institutes of Health.

Chemical Engineers Discover How to Make Vaccines Faster

Researchers at Brigham Young University have devised a system to speed up the process of making life-saving vaccines for new viruses. Their concept is to create the biological machinery for vaccine production en masse, put it in a freeze-dried state and stockpile it around the country. Then, when a new virus hits, labs can simply add water to a 'kit' to rapidly produce vaccines.

Promising New Sepsis Treatment is on the Horizon

A promising new drug for sepsis is on the horizon thanks to new funding from the British Heart Foundation, which could help take the laboratory discovery into the clinic. The first clinical trials of a treatment for deadly septic shock will only be possible if these studies, led by Dr. James Leiper at the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre (MRC CSC), take place.