Vienna, Austria: People who have recently been found to have drug-resistant bacteria in their urine or stool samples have a greatly increased risk of developing a bloodstream infection that is also resistant to certain antibiotics, according to a study presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Sepsis affects an […]
New research sheds light on treating bloodstream infections with fewer side effects and without the need for antimicrobials of “last resort”
Vienna, Austria: Patients with bloodstream infections could avoid treatment with a combination of antimicrobial therapies if they are given the right drug as early as possible and if they are classified as at low risk of death. This would reduce the risk of adverse side effects, as well as the likelihood of drug resistance developing […]
Testing urine for particular proteins could be key to preventing kidney transplant failure
Vienna, Austria: Testing for molecular markers in the urine of kidney transplant patients could reveal whether the transplant is failing and why, according to research presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Transplants are life-saving treatments for patients with end-stage kidney disease but around 25% fail within five years, […]
Study of bacteria’s DNA fingerprint suggests it could be spreading around Europe via food distribution
Vienna, Austria: Foods should be investigated as a potential source of spread of Clostridium difficile, according to research presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) causes gut infections and can be particularly dangerous for elderly patients. Because it is resistant to commonly used antibiotics it […]
The cost of Clostridium difficile infections: thousands of hospital beds occupied a year and patients at higher risk of death if infection recurs
Vienna, Austria: Repeated infection with the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), which causes stomach upsets and diarrhoea, is linked to higher death rates, as well as having a significant impact on health services in terms of cost and hospital beds occupied. In the first of two presentations at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology […]
Cardiac arrest patients do better if taken immediately to a specialist heart centre – regardless of how far away it is
People who suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospital have a better chance of survival if they are taken immediately to a specialist heart centre rather than to the nearest general hospital, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study found that distance needed to travel to a specialist heart centre was […]
WHO report is ‘major step forward’ in fight against drug-resistant bacteria
A new report by the World Health Organization lays out, for the first time, which antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose the greatest risk to global health and urgently need new effective treatments. The report was chaired by Prof. Evelina Tacconelli, executive committee member of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) in collaboration with […]
Death rates from cancer will fall faster in men than in women in Europe in 2017
Death rates from cancer in the European Union (EU) are falling faster in men than in women, according to the latest predictions for European cancer deaths in 2017, published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. Researchers in Italy, Switzerland and the USA, led by Carlo La Vecchia (MD), Professor at the Faculty […]
Breath test could help detect stomach and oesophageal cancers
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: A test that measures the levels of five chemicals in the breath has shown promising results for the detection of cancers of the oesophagus and stomach in a large patient trial presented at the European Cancer Congress 2017 [1]. Together, stomach and oesophageal cancer account for around 1.4 million new cancer diagnoses […]
Some early stage breast cancer patients may benefit more from breast conserving therapy than from mastectomy
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Breast conserving therapy (BCT, breast conserving surgery combined with radiation therapy) is superior to mastectomy in certain types of breast cancer patients, according to results from the largest study to date, presented at the European Cancer Congress 2017 [1]. Professor Sabine Siesling, from the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL) and University of […]