NEJM Journal Watch
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HIV and ID Observations is a blog maintained by Dr. Paul E. Sax. He looks at the latest research, as well as some of the "not-so-medical" news about HIV and infectious disease. It's one of the most reputable HIV blogs around, with Q&As, news breakdowns, and more.
NEJM Journal Watch
1w ago
It’s been quite the ride for our “preferred” outpatient therapy for COVID-19, nirmatrelvir with ritonavir — much better known as Paxlovid, so allow me the license to use the licensed name. Let’s recap the astonishing success and now failure of this intervention (some dates approximate): December 2021, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Paxlovid: Action ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
3w ago
I took care of a patient many years ago with MRSA. The severity of the infection required a prolonged treatment course, and vancomycin was the default option. Cripes, it was the only option. He ultimately was discharged on home IV therapy, and as usual we had a plan to monitor his renal function and vancomycin ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
1M ago
One of the most rewarding things about social media in medicine is tapping into the minds of other smart people in your field, especially people you can’t otherwise interact with on a day-to-day basis. When that person is someone like Dr. Sébastien Poulin — a funny and indefatigable ID/HIV doctor from Montreal — it’s especially worthwhile ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
1M ago
One of the top experiences of my ID career has been working with a research group that does HIV disease modeling. The people involved are without exception smart, collaborative, generous, funny, and hard-working — an amazing combination of positive traits. They get this, I believe, from their leader and founder, Dr. Ken Freedberg, who sets a ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
3M ago
Take a look at the things behind my desk at work: cute photos of family and dog a bunch of sentimental objects, gifts from grateful patients or colleagues a smattering of miscellaneous plaques and clocks pictures of our current (awesome) first-year ID fellows and other stuff a bunch of books, several of them many inches thick ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
3M ago
For the zillionth year in a row, I spent the Christmas holiday working in the hospital. For me, it’s not much of a sacrifice — we don’t celebrate Christmas, and my kids are long out of school so the strict limits on when we can take vacation are a thing of the past. But it ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
4M ago
A bunch of ID (and a few non-ID) items of note as you prepare for the peak of the holiday season. The President of IDSA has written an open letter to the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) asking for changes to the recertification process. Current IDSA President Dr. Steven Schmitt proposes several modifications, all designed ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
5M ago
Most years around this time I post some ID-related things to be grateful for — a research advance, a nice shift in epidemiology showing fewer people are sick and more are living longer, a new drug approval we’ve been eagerly awaiting. That kind of thing. Last year, for example, it was gratitude that mpox had come ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
5M ago
The simple things that make someone not just a doctor — but a good doctor — can slip away from us when we’re too busy, or tired, or preoccupied, or hungry. That’s why it’s wise periodically to be reminded of the “soft skills” that, while individually not tricky, together make a huge difference in how ..read more
NEJM Journal Watch
6M ago
Having already featured an important non-HIV clinical research study from IDWeek — the amazing ACORN trial — I turn now to a grab bag of HIV-related studies, a veritable Halloween treat bag full of them. (Note to self: What’s with that “Halloween treat bag” reference? Couldn’t you come up with a less awkward way to link ..read more