Tag

Antibiotics

All articles tagged with #antibiotics

health7 days ago•29 min saved

Sugar intake during antibiotic use accelerates gut microbiome collapse

A new study in Nature reveals that consuming sugary foods while taking antibiotics significantly worsens gut microbiome disruption. Researchers found that sugar intake during antibiotic treatment led to a 24% drop in bacterial diversity for every 100-gram increase in sweets, promoting the overgrowth of harmful Enterococcus bacteria. This effect was confirmed in mouse models, where sugar supplementation increased Enterococcus populations by up to 33-fold. The findings suggest that limiting sugar during antibiotic courses could protect gut health and improve clinical outcomes, particularly for cancer patients undergoing stem cell transplants.

via Prevention|

#antibiotics #cancer-care #gut-health

health9 days ago•212 min saved

Sugar intake during antibiotic use accelerates gut microbiome collapse, study finds

via CNN|

#antibiotics #cancer-care #enterococcus

health-and-science9 days ago•86 min saved

Study Links Sugar Intake to Worsened Gut Microbiome Damage During Antibiotic Treatment

A new study in Nature finds that consuming sugar-rich foods while taking antibiotics worsens gut microbiome disruption. Researchers tracked 9,419 meals from 173 patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation, finding that sugar intake during antibiotic exposure led to lower microbial diversity and increased growth of the pathobiont Enterococcus. Mouse experiments confirmed that sucrose supplementation prolonged this bacterial expansion. The findings suggest that avoiding simple sugars during antibiotic treatment could help mitigate microbiota damage and improve recovery.

via nature.com|

#antibiotics #clinical-trials #enterococcus

health10 days ago•5 min saved

Merck Discontinues Recarbrio, Narrowing Options for Resistant Infections

Merck has ceased manufacturing and marketing Recarbrio in the US, citing portfolio reviews rather than safety issues. The drug, a combination of imipenem-cilastatin and relebactam, was approved in 2019 for multidrug-resistant infections, including those caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase. While experts note alternative treatments exist for some pathogens, the withdrawal leaves a gap for difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa cases. Critics argue this move highlights the economic unsustainability of new antibiotics, which are used sparingly due to stewardship guidelines, raising concerns about future pediatric access and the need for legislative support like the PASTEUR Act.

via CIDRAP|

#antibiotics #drug-resistance #fda

health11 days ago•1 min saved

Merck pulls last-resort antibiotic Recarbrio from U.S. market

Merck has discontinued Recarbrio, a critical three-drug antibiotic combination, from the U.S. market. The drug, approved seven years ago, was designated by the FDA as a treatment of last resort to combat antibiotic resistance. Merck did not provide a reason for the withdrawal, raising concerns about corporate commitment to public health priorities.

via STAT|

#antibiotics #drug-access #fda

science14 days ago•9 min saved

Biocatalytic Breakthrough Enables Direct Synthesis of Chiral Oxazolidinones from Simple Alkenes

Researchers at Caltech and the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new biocatalytic method to synthesize chiral oxazolidinones, key scaffolds in next-generation antibiotics, directly from unactivated alkenes using engineered haemproteins.

via Nature|

#antibiotics #biocatalysis #directed-evolution

health15 days ago•9 min saved

Young patient’s decade-long C. diff battle highlights shifting infection risks and the value of community support

Minnie Hatch, a 31-year-old from Ogden, Utah, spent a decade battling recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infections before discovering she has a primary immunodeficiency disorder. Her journey illustrates how C. diff is increasingly affecting younger, community-dwelling patients rather than just the elderly in hospitals. After multiple recurrences and three fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs), Hatch found stability through intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. Her experience underscores the importance of patient advocacy and community resources like the Peggy Lillis Foundation in navigating complex, chronic infections.

via CIDRAP|

#antibiotics #c-diff #fecal-microbiota-transplant

health19 days ago•20 min saved

Petroleum jelly beats antibiotic ointments for minor scrapes, doctors say

For minor cuts and scrapes, topical antibiotic ointments may not be more effective than petroleum jelly and can trigger skin allergies; proper wound care means cleaning, moisturizing and covering, with antibiotics reserved for infected wounds.

via The Washington Post|

#antibiotics #first-aid #health

health21 days ago•20 min saved

Fast, Focused Antibiotics: Balancing Sepsis Treatment with Stewardship

Sepsis demands urgent antibiotic therapy, but the principle of antibiotic stewardship matters: clinicians often start broad-spectrum antibiotics when infection is suspected, then rapidly de-escalate to narrower agents or stop treatment as cultures and the patient’s response clarify the diagnosis. Blood cultures should be drawn promptly (ideally before antibiotics) to guide therapy without delaying care. Ongoing reassessment of duration and regimen helps minimize harm and curb antimicrobial resistance. Patients and families should avoid self-medicating with antibiotics and understand that rapid treatment must be paired with smart, targeted therapy for lasting effectiveness.

via ndtv.com|

#antibiotic-stewardship #antibiotics #antimicrobial-resistance

health24 days ago•3 min saved

Dose matters: cefepime linked to higher death risk in adults, especially with febrile neutropenia

A global meta-analysis of 110 randomized trials involving over 22,000 patients found that the antibiotic cefepime was associated with higher all-cause mortality than other beta-lactams, particularly among adults with febrile neutropenia. While the authors did not recommend stopping cefepime, they called for more guidance and research to clarify safety and optimal dosing, noting limitations such as study heterogeneity and proposing explanations like subtherapeutic or toxic drug levels and neurotoxicity; the dosing challenge may partly explain the observed association, and AI could help tailor dosing in the future.

via FOX 13 Tampa Bay|

#antibiotics #cefepime #febrile-neutropenia

health24 days ago•3 min saved

New signal on cefepime safety: higher short-term death risk in adults tied to some usage patterns

A global meta-analysis of 110 randomized trials (over 22,000 patients) found cefepime associated with higher all-cause mortality within about 30 days compared with other beta-lactam antibiotics, particularly in adults with febrile neutropenia; while not proving causation, potential factors include dosing challenges and neurotoxicity, prompting calls for clearer dosing guidance and further safety research rather than an outright discontinuation of cefepime.

via LiveNOW from FOX|

#antibiotics #cefepime #health

health27 days ago•5 min saved

Lyme Disease Demystified: Early Signs, Prevention, and Prompt Treatment

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection from infected blacklegged ticks. Early symptoms resemble the flu, and a hallmark expanding rash may appear. If detected early, most cases are treatable; removing a tick within 24 hours lowers risk and preventive measures help. Treatment is typically a 10–14 day course of antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline, amoxicillin, cefuroxime), with longer therapy for severe cases. A small number may experience lingering fatigue or cognitive symptoms after treatment (PTLDS), but prolonged antibiotics are not beneficial.

via USA Today|

#antibiotics #early-detection #health

relationships28 days ago•13 min saved

An Untreated Infection Becomes the Test of a Partner’s Care

In a personal essay, Olivia Hunt recounts dating an older, confident partner who tests positive for Ureaplasma but refuses antibiotics, choosing holistic remedies instead. After she’s spent years battling the infection herself—misdiagnosed and treated with the wrong antibiotics—she realizes his stance risks her health and others. She ends the relationship and uses Ureaplasma as a litmus test for whether a partner will prioritize her well-being, highlighting how health must be treated as mutual in dating.

via Slate|

#antibiotics #dating #health

health1 month ago•7 min saved

When antibiotics stop working: AMR's rising toll and hopeful phage therapy

Obelix’s death from an infection unresponsive to antibiotics underscores the global rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), driven by overuse in people and farming and risking millions of lives and trillions in economic losses by 2050. The piece also highlights bacteriophage therapy as an experimental alternative, discusses policy steps like the EU’s ban on antibiotic growth promoters and WHO-led action plans, and calls for better diagnostics, sanitation, vaccination, and responsible antibiotic use to curb AMR.

via cnn.com|

#antibiotics #antimicrobial-resistance #global-health

world1 month ago•2 min saved

Brazil-EU meat spat escalates as Brasília rejects audit demand and hints retaliation

The EU ban on Brazilian meat over antibiotic use sparks a diplomatic row: Brazil’s EU ambassador says audits were unnecessary and warns that all options, including retaliation, are on the table, while Brussels defends its food-safety rules and notes that beef audits require guarantees; the dispute coincides with the provisional Mercosur-EU deal and ongoing antimicrobial rules affecting imports.

via Euronews.com|

#antibiotics #brazil-eu #meat-ban