Sepsis breakthrough as new drug may prevent disease from becoming life-threatening

Dublin: A potential new treatment option for sepsis has been identified by researchers at the RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)'s Irish Centre for Vascular Biology which has the potential to prevent sepsis from progressing through the body and becoming a life-threatening condition. Cases of sepsis are more common than heart attacks, claims more lives than cancer every year and affects an estimated 30 million people every year worldwide*. With World Sepsis Day taking place today (Tuesday 13th September), this is a major breakthrough in sepsis research and is one that shows promise in battling this global healthcare issue.

Antibiotic approved for treating infant abdominal infections

NIH: The antibiotic meropenem was approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for treating abdominal infections in children less than 3 months of age. The approval came after a study by a National Institutes of Health research network evaluated the drug in treating children in this age group. The May 28 issue of The Federal Register described the study which supported the approval of meropenem for “complicated intra-abdominal infections” in children under 3 months of age. Among preterm infants, intestinal perforation or leakage — which is part of complicated intra-abdominal infection — may be life threatening.

How the Immune System Controls the Human Biological Clock in Times of Infection

Pennsylvania: An important link between the human body clock and the immune system has relevance for better understanding inflammatory and infectious diseases, discovered collaborators at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Trinity College, Dublin. In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they report how a critical white blood cell called the macrophage, when exposed to bacteria, makes the biological clock inside the macrophage stop, allowing it to become inflamed.

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Could Protect Liver from Sepsis-Induced Damage, Says Pitt Team

University of Pittsburgh. US: Drugs that are on the market to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) could have another use—they might be able to protect the liver from damage caused by sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. They recently published their findings in Science Signaling.

Hidden infection shortens life

Lund University. Sweden: Recent research shows that mild infections without symptoms of illness can still lead to serious consequences by reducing the lifespan of the infected individuals. The study at Lund University in Sweden has been carried out on malaria-infected migratory birds. The infection is thought to speed up the ageing process by shortening the telomeres (i.e., the chromosomes ends) at a faster rate and thereby accelerating senescence.

Using oxygen at high pressure for the treatment of individuals with severe soft tissue infection

Cochrane: Severe soft tissue infection (necrotizing fasciitis) is life threatening, is associated with prolonged hospital stay and carries high risk of long-term loss of function. Routine treatment consists of immediate surgical removal of infected tissue and administration of antibiotics.

Abcess

An abscess is a pocket of pus. You can get an abscess almost anywhere in your body. When an area of your body becomes infected, your body's immune system tries to fight the infection. White blood cells go to the infected area, collect within the damaged tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process, pus forms. Pus is a mixture of living and dead white blood cells, germs, and dead tissue.

Bacteria, viruses, parasites and swallowed objects can all lead to abscesses. Skin abscesses are easy to detect. They are red, raised and painful. Abscesses inside your body may not be obvious and can damage organs, including the brain, lungs and others. Treatments include drainage and antibiotics.