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Antibiotics or Surgery: What's Best for Child Appendicitis?

For decades, surgery to remove an inflamed appendix has been a rite of childhood for many.

But a new study says treating appendicitis with antibiotics, rather than surgery, is the best way to address most cases.

Using antibiotics to treat uncomplicated cases of appendicitis resulted in less pain and fewer days off from school for kids, researchers report in the

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • December 2, 2024
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  • Antibiotics Reveal Links Between Gut Microbes, Parkinson's

    Certain gut microbes might be linked to a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests.

    People prescribed multiple courses of penicillin antibiotics have a modestly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s, researchers found.

    Those antibiotics ...

    Antibiotic Overuse in Nursing Homes Could Foster 'Superbugs'

    Senior residential homes are breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, due to overprescription of antibiotics, a new study says.

    Stool samples provided by Australian senior home residents contained bacteria with a wide range of genes linked to antibiotic resistance...

    Your Gut Could Be Source of Powerful New Antibiotics

    The crowded microbial space of the human gut is revealing potential routes to new antibiotics, scientists report.

    Molecules isolated from studying the gut's microbiome have yielded unexpected results that could lead to new types of the drugs, said study first author 

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 19, 2024
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  • Doctors May Have New Weapon Against Flesh-Eating Bacteria

    MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- A new antimicrobial compound can effectively clear “flesh-eating” bacterial infections in mice, a new study shows.

    The compound could be the first in an entirely new class of antibiotics, which could prove invaluable in the fight against

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 5, 2024
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  • 'Two-Target' Antibiotics Could Make Bacterial Resistance Much Tougher

    Synthetic antibiotics that attack bacteria in two directions at once could be the solution for combatting antimicrobial-resistant bugs, a new study claims.

    These dual-action antibiotics, called macrolones, disrupt bacterial cell function in two different ways.

    It’s nearly impossibl...

    Studies Support Use of Daily Antibiotic to Prevent STDs in High-Risk Groups

    It's long been known that popping the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of a risky sexual encounter can greatly reduce a person's risk for a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

    In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 19, 2024
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  • How Early Antibiotic Use Could Raise Kids' Asthma Risk

    Early exposure to antibiotics might increase a kid's risk of asthma by altering their gut bacteria, a new mouse study finds.

    Antibiotics could specifically lower gut production of indole propionic acid (IPA), a biochemical that's crucial to long-term protection against asthma, researchers reported July 15 in...

    Could OTC Nasal Sprays Ease Colds & Flu and Cut Antibiotic Use?

    Over-the-counter nasal sprays could be a potent weapon against a major public health threat -- antibiotic resistance, researchers report.

    Their analysis, which looked at data from nearly 14,000 adults, found that common nasal sprays could help keep upper respiratory tract infections at bay, reducing the need for antibiotics.

    Antibiotic resistance caused by overuse and misuse of thes...

    CDC Supports Use of Antibiotic as 'Morning After Pill' to Stop STDs

    In new guidelines released Tuesday, U.S. health officials now recommend that certain people take the antibiotic doxycycline as a morning-after pill to lower the risk of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

    The latest recommendations only apply to gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have had an STD in the past year and are at high risk of getting infected again. While pas...

    Vancomycin May Be Losing Strength Against Common Deadly Infection

    Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a leading cause of illness and death, especially for frail and hospitalized Americans.

    Now, a new study suggests that the leading antibiotic used to fight it, vancomycin, may be losing potency against this killer.

    "It's an alarming development in the field of

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • April 26, 2024
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  • FDA Approves New Antibiotic Against UTIs

    As many patients already know, urinary tract infections (UTIs) can recur despite the use of antibiotics.

    So, it's welcome news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) to fight bacterial UTIs.

    "UTIs are a very common condition impacting women a...

    Neosporin Ointment in the Nose Might Be Potent Antibiotic

    Want to prevent a respiratory infection?

    A fingerful of Neosporin antibiotic swabbed inside your nose might help you fight off a range of invading respiratory viruses, a new study claims.

    Lab animals whose noses were treated using neomycin -- the main ingredient in over-the-counter Neosporin ointment -- mounted a robust ...

    Antibiotics Probably Won't Ease Your Cough, Even If Infection is Bacterial: Study

    Doctors sometimes prescribe antibiotics to help treat a cough, but a new study shows the drugs won't help reduce the severity or duration of coughing -- even if a bacterial infection is the culprit.

    Lower respiratory tract infections that cause coughing have the potential to become more dangerous, with 3% to 5% of these patients suffering from

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • April 15, 2024
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  • Pets Are Passing Drug-Resistant 'Superbugs' to Their Owners

    Dogs and cats can pass antibiotic-resistant bacteria to their owners, raising concerns that household pets could be contributing to the world's antibiotics crisis, a new study says.

    Cases of these "superbugs"being passed between sick dogs and cats and their healthy owners have been identified in the U.K. and Portugal, according to research presented at the European Society of Clinical Mic...

    Cases of Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea Have Tripled in China, Posing a Global Threat

    A strain of highly antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea first emerged in China in 2016, and cases of this tough-to-treat infection have tripled there in just five years, Chinese researchers report.

    It's a warning to the rest of the world, they said.

    Strains resistant to the first-line treatment ceftr...

    Antibiotic After Sex Slashed STD Rates in Study

    Just one dose of the antibiotic doxycycline taken after sex halved the number of chlamydia and syphilis cases in San Francisco, promising new research shows.

    In the study, gay and bisexual men and transgender women who had a history of sexually transmitted infections or multiple sex partners were given a supply of the antibiotic and asked to take two 100-milligram pills within 72 hours of...

    Scientists Sound Alarm on New Drug-Resistant E. Coli

    A new and worrisome antibiotic-resistant form of E. coli has been identified at a children's hospital in China.

    Already, so-called ST410 strains of the E. coli bacterium -- resistant to last-resort antibiotics called carbapenems -- have become the most common drug-resistant strains seen in Chinese hospitals, according to British researchers.

    But a new, more virulent version of ST410...

    Overuse of Antifungal Skin Meds Could Be Driving Drug-Resistant Disease

    U.S. doctors are prescribing antifungal creams to patients with skin complaints at rates so high they could be contributing to the rise of drug-resistant infections, new research shows.

    These are "severe antimicrobial-resistant superficial fungal infections, which have recently been detected in the United States," noted a team led by Jeremy Gold, a researcher at the U.S. Centers for Disea...

    New Antibiotic Slays Deadly Superbug in Early Trial

    Researchers report that a new type of antibiotic has proved its mettle against a deadly superbug.

    Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacteria goes by the nickname CRAB, can trigger serious infections in the lungs, urinary tract and blood, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, it's resistant to a class of powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics calle...

    Taking Antibiotic After Sex Could Slash Your Risk for an STI. Here's What to Know

    Data showing that the antibiotic doxycycline might prevent a sexually transmitted infection (STI) if taken soon after sex made headlines earlier this year.

    As surging numbers of cases of syphilis and gonorrhea affect more Americans, here's what you need to know about using the drug.

    "If you're actively having sex and not using con...

    New Antibiotic Tackles Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea in Trial

    The first new antibiotic for gonorrhea -- the second most common sexually transmitted disease -- has shown promise in a clinical trial.

    That news should come as a relief to public health experts, because gonorrhea has become resistant to all but one of the existing antibiotics used to treat it.

    This new antibiotic, called zoliflodacin, was seen in the

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 3, 2023
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  • Simple Antibiotic Switch for Pneumonia Patients Could Prevent Hospital Infection

    A new study on Clostridioides difficile infections finds that choosing an alternative antibiotic for high-risk patients with pneumonia can reduce infection risk.

    C. diff infections can be deadly, and they are often acquired by hospitalized patients taking broad-spectrum antibiotics.

    More than 450,000 C. diff infections are reported in the United States eac...

    Many Antibiotics No Longer Work Against Common Childhood Infections

    Many antibiotics long used to treat common childhood infections are no longer effective because of antibiotic resistance.

    The authors of a new study say global guidelines on antibiotic use need to be updated to reflect this, and they called for an increased focus on developing new antibiotics for in...

    Extra Antibiotic With Hip, Knee Replacement Won't Prevent Infections: Study

    Millions of people undergo joint replacement surgery every year. To prevent infection, doctors often give them a second antibiotic -- but new research suggests this can backfire.

    Adding a second antibiotic at the time of hip and knee replacement surgery may actually increase infections, researchers in Australia found.

    "Given the number of joint replacements performed in Austral...

    CDC Will Recommend an Antibiotic After Sex to Help Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to recommend use of a powerful antibiotic to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

    On Monday, the CDC issued dr...

    New Antibiotic Could Help Fight Resistant Staph Infections

    New research shows that an antibiotic effective for bacterial pneumonia also appears to fight treatment-resistant staph infections.

    The drug is ceftobiprole. It appeared successful in fighting methicillin-resistant staph infections, sometimes called MRSA. It showed similar benefit when tested against the antibiotic daptomycin to treat complicated Staphylococcus aureus infections....

    Many Strains of a Dangerous Foodborne Bacteria Are Now Antibiotic-Resistant

    New research on a leading cause of foodborne illness has linked a large share of Michigan infections to antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains.

    More than 100 strains of Campylobacter jejuni circulating in Michigan are resistant to at least one antibiotic, according to researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. More th...

    Study Finds Good Long-Term Outcomes for Appendicitis Treated Without Surgery

    Most people with appendicitis who are given antibiotics -- instead of having their appendix removed -- fare well over the long haul, new research indicates.

    The conclusion follows roughly two decades spent tracking patient outcomes in Sweden.

    The study found that among those initially treated solely with antibiotics, rather than surgery, less than half ended up experiencing another ...

    Polluted Air Linked to Dangerous Antibiotic Resistance

    Doctors who overprescribe antibiotics are often blamed for medication-resistant illnesses, but new research points to another potential culprit: air pollution.

    Controlling air pollution could reduce antibiotic resistance, greatly reducing deaths and economic costs, according to a new in-depth global analysis were published Aug. 7 in The Lancet Planetary Health..

    "Anti...

    Nasal Swab for Bacteria Might Slash Antibiotic Prescribing in Kids

    Testing children with a suspected sinus infection for three common bacteria might cut unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, a new study suggests.

    Only half of kids with sinusitis -- inflammation or swelling of the sinuses -- show any improvement with antibiotics, which target bacterial infections, not viral infections, the researchers note.

    "When a child comes in with a sore thro...

    Pfizer Warns of Shortage of Antibiotic Used to Fight Syphilis

    Infectious disease experts are warning that a shortage of a key antibiotic for treating the sexually transmitted infection syphilis could make it hard to fight the spread of the disease.

    The United States already has a big problem with syphilis, with cases rising for more than 20 years. Cases increased nearly 75% between 2017 and 2021 alone, bringing the number to more than 176,000 in 202...

    Another Enemy on the Front Lines in Ukraine: Antibiotic-Resistant Germs

    Bacteria found in hospital patients in Ukraine is showing extreme antibiotic resistance, making it harder to treat the wounded and ill in this war-torn country, new research warns.

    "I am quite thick-skinned and have witnessed numerous situations involving patients and bacteria," said study author and bacteriologist

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 4, 2023
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  • Infectious Disease Experts Update Rules on 'Superbug' Spread in Hospitals

    "Superbug"infections are increasing in U.S. hospitals, and a coalition of medical groups has now issued a set of updated recommendations to protect patients.

    These guidelines are meant to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, the authors of the recommendations argue.

    MRSA causes about 10% of hospital-associated infections in ...

    Pfizer Warns of Looming Shortage of Long-Acting Penicillin for Kids

    Pfizer Inc. warned doctors this week of an impending shortage of Bicillin, its long-acting, injectable form of penicillin.

    The medication is not commonly used for children because alternatives such as amoxicillin are preferred over the Bicillin shot, the company explained in a stat...

    Antibiotics Losing Power Against Bloodstream Infections That Kill Newborns

    Babies around the world are dying because the antibiotics used to treat sepsis infections in hospitals are losing their effectiveness, a new report warns.

    A team of 80 researchers from four continents has been studying the issue of antibiotic-resistance and newborn sepsis in 19 hospitals.

    "The observational study has been instrumental in providing the high-quality data that we ...

    Dangerous Infections in 'Preemie' Babies May Begin in the Gut

    About half of extremely preterm babies have at least one life-threatening bacterial infection in their bloodstream after 72 hours of life.

    Now, new research points to the babies' own gut microbiomes as the source.

    Knowing that the most common bacteria in bloodstream infections are also commonly found to colonize the gut without causing disease at first, researchers set out to test...

    Can Patients With Pneumonia Be Weaned Off IV Antibiotics Earlier?

    Patients hospitalized with pneumonia typically stay on IV antibiotics until they're stable, after about three days, but a new study suggests a different option.

    Researchers report that more patients who have community-acquired pneumonia could switch sooner to oral antibiotics. Antibiotics given as pills were also linked with earlier release from the hospital. They were not associated with...

    'Morning After' Antibiotics Could Slash Odds for Common STDs

    A "morning after" dose of a common antibiotic can greatly lower the chances of sexually transmitted bacterial infections in high-risk people, a new clinical trial has found.

    Researchers discovered that taking the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of unprotected sex slashed the risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis by two-thirds among gay and bisexual men and transgender women who...

    Iguana Bite Left Vacationing Toddler a Medical Issue Months Later

    A family vacation to remember, but maybe not for the best reasons.

    Doctors report on an unusual case where a hungry iguana bit a vacationing toddler's hand, passing on an infection with a germ called Mycobacterium marinum.

    A 3-year-old girl named Lena Mars, of San Jose, Ca., was visiting Costa Rica with her family and eating cake while sitting on the beach. Suddenly an igua...

    In Rare Cases, Drug-Resistant 'Superbugs' Can Pass Between People & Their Pets

    In more bad news about antibiotic resistance, new research suggests that people and their pets may be able to transmit multidrug-resistant germs to each other.

    Still, cases of cross-transmission are rare and it's not clear if pets are giving germs to people or people are giving germs to their pets, the study authors noted.

    "In urban areas in high-income countries, pets do not seem ...

    Morning-After Antibiotics May Help Curb STDs

    A common antibiotic taken shortly after sex by folks in high-risk groups may help stem the spread of some sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

    Using doxycycline about 72 hours after unprotected sex effectively prevented chlamydia and syphilis cases in men who have sex with men and in transgender women, research presented last month at the

    CDC Warns of Rise of Drug-Resistant Shigella Bacteria

    Public health officials are warning about an increase in drug-resistant strains of the bacteria shigella.

    About 5% of shigella infections reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year were caused by the drug-resistant XDR strain. That compares to 0% in 2015.

    Limited treatment options exist for people infected with XDR strains. The bacteria are easily tran...

    Not Allergic to Penicillin After All? Your Pharmacy May Not Know

    When testing determines that a patient who was thought to be allergic to penicillin actually is not, the warning is expected to be removed from their charts and pharmacy records.

    But that "de-labeling" is not always happening.

    "Penicillin allergy labels are associated with increased health care cost burdens as well as adverse events for patients,"said lead author

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 14, 2023
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  • Troubling Signs TB Is Gaining Resistance Against Combo Antibiotics

    New drugs may be needed to fight the deadliest form of tuberculosis, because it may no longer respond to current treatments.

    An animal study by Johns Hopkins University researchers found that an approved antibiotic regimen may not work for TB meningitis due to multidrug-resistant str...

    A Probiotic May Equal Antibiotics in Fighting Staph Infection

    A probiotic supplement appears to clear the body of a type of bacteria that can cause serious antibiotic-resistant infections, a new study finds.

    More research is needed, but experts said the work could lead to a way to prevent infections with the bac...

    Frequent Use of Antibiotics Linked With Higher Odds for Crohn's, Colitis

    Overuse of antibiotics may trigger inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), new research suggests.

    Among folks who were 40 or older, a new study found that antibiotics may increase the risk for bowel diseases, such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, for one to two years after use. And the greatest risk was posed by two classes of antibiotics -- nitroimidazoles and fluoroquinolones -- often used ...

    Shortages of Antibiotics, Antivirals Are Making a Tough Illness Season Worse

    An early surge in cold and flu cases has created shortages in key antiviral and antibiotic drugs needed for the annual "sick season,"pharmacists report.

    The antiviral flu drug Tamiflu is in short supply for both adults and children, in both its brand name formulation as well as the generic version, said Michael G...

    New Type of Antibiotic Could Fight Tough-to-Treat UTIs

    The world desperately needs new antibiotics to fight infection as bacteria become resistant to existing options.

    GSK has developed a new antibiotic to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) that appears to be so effective the pharmaceutical company stopped testing early on the recommendation of independent monitors and plans to submit data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon,

    Combo Drug May Fight Tough-to-Treat UTIs

    Doctors could soon have access to a new weapon in the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

    An experimental combination antibiotic appears to offer a new option for doctors treating stubborn drug-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to new clinical trial results.

    The new combo of cefepime and enmetazobactam outperformed an established antibiotic drug ...