Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are frequently used to deliver intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy. Infectious disease (ID) physicians are often consulted prior to PICC placement, but whether their engagement influences PICC appropriateness and complications is not known. Methods: Using data from the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium on PICCs placed in hospitalized medical patients [...]

Background: Closing the gap between evidence-supported antibiotic use and prescribing patterns among clinicians is a vital component of curbing excessive antibiotic use, a practice that fosters antimicrobial resistance and exposes patients to the side effects of antimicrobial agents. Providing medication prescribing information via scorecard has been shown to improve clinician adherence to quality metrics in [...]

Case Presentation: Talaromycosis (formerly known as Penicilliosis) is a rare fungal disease that predominantly affects immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV and low CD4 cell counts, from endemic regions (e.g., Southeast Asia). There have been a limited number of cases reported worldwide, with a travel-related exposure. We present a case of an immunocompetent patient [...]

Case Presentation: A 42-year-old man was diagnosed with AIDS after presenting to his PCP for subacute subjective fevers, unintended weight loss, headache, and generalized malaise. He was referred to infectious diseases and was started on Biktarvy for ART as well as Bactrim and Zithromax for prophylaxis for a CD4 count of 18 cells/mm3 and HIV [...]

Case Presentation: A 33-year-old woman with a past medical history of a calcaneal fracture requiring internal fixation complicated by poor wound healing and repair with a free flap, and polymicrobial osteomyelitis on home amoxicillin-clavulanate and IV daptomycin presented with three days of fevers, chills, and generalized malaise. She reported adherence to her home antibiotic regimen. [...]

Background: The incidence of tickborne disease has recently increased in the United States, as longer summers and milder winters have led to a surge in tick populations (1). The impact has been most marked in New England, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average, particularly in winter (2). Babesiosis is a tickborne illness [...]

Case Presentation: A 25-year-old Wolof-speaking male who recently arrived from Senegal with remote history of malaria (unclear treatment, no hospitalization) presented to the hospital with a three-day history of dull global headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, watery diarrhea, and hematuria. Upon arrival, he was noted to be diaphoretic, dehydrated, tachycardic, and hypoglycemic. Labs were significant for [...]

Case Presentation: An 8-year-old fully vaccinated female developed fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, and vomiting 6 days prior to admission. When seen by her pediatrician 4 days prior, she had an erythematous oropharynx and was treated with amoxicillin for streptococcus pharyngitis. The following day, she developed blood-streaked emesis and was seen in a local Emergency [...]