Gastroenterology

There is a critical need for nonantibiotic therapies to treat CDIs, and the researchers say, “Knowledge of the mechanism of C. difficile toxin regulation will be critical in developing novel nonantibiotic therapies to target the toxins for the treatment of this pathogen of significant public health importance.”

Will our next president be medically fit? And how much is the public entitled to know about candidates’ personal health?

Even a severe medical condition won’t let players avoid the NFL’s recent seemingly admirable stance on substance abuse violations.

Antimicrobial treatment is the most important modifiable risk factor for clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in hemato-oncological patients, according to a recent study. The researchers conclude that chemotherapy itself is not a risk factor for CDI in this patient population.

Phages were originally discovered and administered as a treatment a century ago, but fell by the wayside in favor of antibiotics. "But now we have this strong driver of antimicrobial resistance. There is a big resurgence in this area, so it’s an exciting time to be looking at these organisms,” says Martha Clokie.

A study of Scottish patients who had been treated and cured of hepatitis C found that the group had a higher mortality rate compared to the general population.

The family dog has been implicated in an epidemiological study tracing the spread of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).

We present a round-up of recent news, trial results, and other developments for infectious disease experts and other physicians who treat patients with C. difficile infection.

The International Network for Hepatitis C in Substance Users points to economic and pseudo-scientific barriers that keep drug-using hepatitis sufferers from receiving new, effective treatments, including an assumption that illicit drug use reduced the efficacy of certain medications

Although direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a small fraction of patients still experience treatment failure.

In many cases, the latest treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at least 90% effective at curing the infection; however, there still remains a subset of patients who don’t respond to the new medications.

The MD Magazine editors rounded up the 10 best stories from August – did you read them all?

As one of the leading educational institutions on the island of Grenada, St. George's University plays a unique role not only in helping the students that come to the school to learn but also those who have already called the island home.

Whether medical students learn their craft at the most established institutions or newer schools around the world their ultimate goal is the same, to help the patient in front of them when they enter practice.

As an international university St. Geroge's can take their own route when it comes to preparing their students while still abiding by some of the traditions of other schools in the United States.

Located on the island of Grenada St. George's University has made a name for itself as one of the top international medical schools providing doctors to the United States.

To help physicians effectively manage septic perianal Crohn’s disease (CD), Penn State College of Medicine researchers published a medical and surgical care plan based on a decade’s worth of analyses and patient outcomes.

One of the biggest differences between military and civilian medicine is the very real chance of being deployed to a forward military unit from a stateside appointment. Lessons from those experiences can shape a doctor's practice back in their home country.

The life of a civilian doctor may not be all that different from a military doctor but there are certain differences which can make it a unique experience for those who serve in military medicine.

Despite the arrival of direct acting antivirals, there are limit options for patients with genotypes 2 and 3 of HCV infection. A drug combo using interferon appears to work, a study finds.

Ginger ale has long been considered a non-medicinal option for soothing upset stomachs. Didier Merlin, MD, and colleagues from the Atlanta VA medical Center and Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, have taken this concept a step further, exploring the use of edible ginger-derived nanoparticles (GDNPs) to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

H. pylori, a bacterial infection of the stomach, may have expansive systemic effects, and clinicians need to raise the index of suspicion when patients report symptoms suggestive of this infection.

It has been many years since Howard Schatz was a practicing physician and while he said the retina specialty has changed he has also seen the field of photography change as digital passes the age of film.

It was supposed to be just a one year sabbatical for Howard Schatz to take a break from his work as a retina specialist and enjoy what had become a growing hobby of photography. More than two decades later Schatz said he misses some parts of practice but is greatly enjoying what has become a second career.

The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and Rollins School of Public Health, along with Emory College of Arts and Sciences, and Emory School of Medicine received a $5 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a children’s environmental health center.

Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, who served as FDA Commissioner and CMS Administrator, will be the keynote speaker at the fall meeting of the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, presented by The American Journal of Managed Care. The meeting will be October 20-21, 2016, in Philadelphia.

Overall sustained virologic response, a marker for a cure, was achieved in 96% of patients with genotype 1b strain of the virus after 12 weeks of Zepatier. In patients infected with genotype 4 of the virus, 94% were cured after 12 weeks of Zepatier treatment.

The good news is that hepatitis C is largely a curable disease. The bad news is that many of the most advanced medications are accompanied by a heavy price tag.

MD Magazine spoke with world-renowned soccer star, Brandi Chastain, who recently partnered with AbbVie on a new advocacy campaign, My IBD Game Plan, in the wake of her son’s Crohn’s disease diagnosis. Millie Long, MD, MPH, shared the clinical landscape and management methods for the condition.

Atop already surprising studies that linked their daily use with increased risk of kidney failure, new data has emerged that shows they may also contribute to weakening of the bones.