In the Press

Background: Understanding the dynamics of aerial spread of Acinetobacter may provide useful information for production of effective control measurements. We investigated genetic relationships between air and clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting.

Objective: Antibiotics are widely prescribed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and duration of prescription is varied. We sought to decrease unnecessary antibiotic days for the most common indications in our outborn level IV NICU by 20% within 1 year.

Mayo Clinic researchers have proposed a new model for mapping the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease to brain anatomy. This model was developed by applying machine learning to patient brain imaging data. It uses the entire function of the brain rather than specific brain regions or networks to explain the relationship between brain anatomy and mental processing. The findings are reported in Nature

Airborne transmission of pathogenic resistant bacteria is well recognized as an important route for the acquisition of a wide range of nosocomial infections in hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of airborne vancomycin and gentamicin (VM and GM) resistant bacteria in different wards of four educational hospitals.

Measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 have also been effective in reducing the transmission of other endemic respiratory viruses.1,  2 As many countries decrease the use of such measures,2 we expect that SARS-CoV-2 will circulate with other respiratory viruses, increasing the probability of co-infections.1,  3 The clinical outcome of respiratory viral co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 is unknown.

The adherence to and clinical efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), particularly in comparison with COPD, remains uncertain. The objectives of this real-world study were to compare the responses of patients with IPF with a matched group of patients with COPD undergoing the same supervised, outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program and to determine whether pulmonary rehabilitation is associated with survival in IPF.

Since its invention, chemotherapy has proven to be a valuable tool in treating cancers of many kinds, but it has a big downside. In addition to killing cancer cells, it can also kill healthy cells like the ones in hair follicles, causing baldness; and those that line the stomach, causing nausea.

Numerous studies have shown that spirituality can help improve quality of life for people with chronic diseases like cancer. According to a literature review published today in JACC Heart Failure, spirituality can also have a positive impact on quality of life for heart failure patients. It further concludes spirituality should be considered a potential target for palliative care interventions to improve patient-centered and clinical outcomes in these individuals.

A significant amount of genetic risk for asthma is likely mediated through altered gene expression within the airway epithelium. That is the conclusion of a National Jewish Health-led study to identify genetic variants that cause asthma by altering the function of airway cells. The team's paper published March 28, 2022, in the journal Nature Communications.

Recent Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommendations reduce the role of short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) premised on the associated exacerbation risk. The widely accepted SABA risk profile is based on limited data described 30 years ago. This GINA paradigm shift demands an examination of SABA risks in a modern therapeutic era. Recent studies confirm that SABA overuse is common and associated with adverse outcomes. This study aimed to determine associations between SABA use, all-cause mortality and asthma exacerbations in an older North American asthma population.