Tag Archives: Infection


hot-air-balloon-521542_1280A pediatric research group in England has developed a balloon that you blow up with your nose…to help reduce ear infections in children.

By having children blow up the ballow with their nose, the child clears & opens the Eustachian tube, thus reducing pressure in the middle ear and allowing improved clearance of infection.

When you see the kids blow up the balloon, you will get that it’s fun and is easy…and is something a little kid would love to do.

So….coming soon to a pediatrician near you….balloon animals …by NOSE.

Watch the VIDEO >>>HERE<<<


Cancer cellA new blood test has been developed at Harvard Medical School that will tell you a list of all of the viral infections you have had in the past, among the several thousands of possibilities.  This means we will know every type of common cold virus (there are approximately 200 of those), as well as more specifically well-known infections like Hepatitis and HIV , polio, measles, west nile, et…..

Using a variety of the latest biological techniques of genetic manipulation, this test is an inexpensive screen for virtually all viruses a person could have been infected with in their lifetime.  It is hoped that this library of information will prove useful for identify what you’ve had, and potentially what you might be susceptible to in the future.

If inexpensive enough, it is thought that this screening would be done every few years, to track your viral profile over time.

Read more >>>>HERE<<<



consults26-blogSpan-v3MYTH:     Valley Fever, also known as Coccidiomycosis, is a fungal infection found commonly in the Southwestern US.  Named after the San Joaquin Valley in California, not our Valley of the Sun, it is caught by inhaling infectious spores from aerosolized dust and the fungus is ubiquitous in Phoenix dust.

Dogs are more susceptible to Valley Fever infections that humans, but they also get exposed more than we do, due to their running about in dust-laden areas and being unable to avoid breathing in heavily dust laden air.

Still, a dog or person who is infected with Valley Fever is not infectious;  they cannot pass the infection on to other people or animals.  Infection comes from inhalation of infectious dust.



superbug1Resistant bacteria are constantly emerging in the real world.   In the hospital, the pressures that broad-spectrum antibiotics apply to bacteria reproduction makes the bacteria ripe to respond with novel and aggressive resistance strategies.

The recent UCLA Reagan Medical Center scare has brought this issue to light.  This highly resistant germ, is called a CRE infections, which stands for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.  These are a type of bacgerial germ found essentially only in the hospital, they are ‘super bacteria’ that develop from normal intestinal flora, which develops ‘super powers of resistance’ with constant exposure to varying antibiotics.   These germs  can be transmitted to patients through the touch of contaminated persons, surfaces, or instruments, as was the case at UCLA.  It was an endoscope, a instrument for looking in the esophagus and stomach, that transmitted the infection.

What can you do to prevent yourself from getting exposed to super-bugs.

  • Stay out of the hospital when you can.
  • Avoid using antibiotics unless necessary
  • Avoid unnecessary invasive procedures.

Read more>>>>>HERE



BACTERIASNutritional Immunity is a natural method for fighting infection, a defense that the body has developed to rob viruses and bacteria of vitally needed nutritional substances and thus prevent their ability to reproduce and cause infection.

Researchers have reported that the body’s defenses fight with bacterial over iron molecules, to prevent the bacteria from obtaining this much needed substance and thus reduce their infectious ability.  This has been accomplished through genetic variations in iron transport molecules.

Why is this important?  Well, it provides a novel method for improving the body’s defenses and may lead to new antibiotic treatments.  In addition, it questions the idea of vitamin and mineral supplementation, revealing the potential harm in such supplements beyond the presumed benefits ‘more and more vitamins and minerals’ may provide the body.  Perhaps we should think again before we take the vitamin.


Read more >>> HERE.



bacteria petri dishStatin medications such as Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor are used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, but there has been evidence that they can prevent injury and death from serious infection. The data has been mixed on this topic, and a recent report supports the use of these medications, particularly for people already on the medication who get sick with an infection that results in hospitalization.

The mechanism of protection is thought to be through a reduction in inflammatory chemicals that connect to cholesterol production. Continuing Lipitor during the Intensive Care Unit stay for people already on Lipitor upon arriving at the hospital dropped the death rate from 28% to 5%. So…if you are on a statin, know that is may be providing even more protection that you imagined in this critical setting.


A recent data review has demonstrated that the Shingles Vaccine can be safely given to patients with immune suppression (either from medications like steroids or from their underlying medical condition). This is good news and makes the data for the Shingles Vaccine more an more encouraging.

The Shingles Vaccine has been available for the past 4 years but has recently been offered on a more widespread basis as it has come into more regular production and availability.
It is recommended for people over 60 years of age who had had chicken pox previously and thus are at risk for Shingles (this is 99.7% of the population).
Recent studies, including this one, have shown the vaccine to be safe and effective:
1. As early as 50 years old
2. In immune suppressed patients

Shingles is recurrent chicken pox virus (herpes zoster) that causes infection in a nerve and develops into a painful rash on the skin. It only occurs in patients who have had chicken pox infection previously as a child.
There is a vaccine to prevent Shingles and it is 70+% effective.

If you’ve gotten your Shingles Vaccine yet, I recommend it highly.

Let’s make Shingles a disease of the past…..like we did for POLIO in the 50’s.


Sepsis is the medical term for overwhelming bloodstream infection.

This is a dangerous condition that can occur in a variety of situations including pneumonia, kidney infections, gallbladder infection, and colon infection (among others).  The bacterial germs that cause these infections are variable resulting in a ‘best guess’ approach by the treating physician.

Usually, this selection process is fairly accurate, but it often takes 1-2 days to isolate the bacterial germ for conclusive proof that the antibiotic being used is the appropriate and ‘best treatment’.

Now, a new test Verigene GP Blood Culture Nucleic Acid Test (BC-GP)  will be available for rapid identification of many of these infections, in as little as three hours.  This rapid detection will allow for improved antibiotic selection, resulting in better outcomes for patients and less bacterial resistance in the hospital.   The test will be available in the near future at a hospital near you.


West Nile Virus is an infection we seen now every summer her in Phoenix.  It is an uncommon viral infection transmitted by misquitos and can cause meningitis and encephalitis (brain infection)

Although only 60-70 cases are seen in Phoenix each year, there are many more cases that fortunately remain minimally symptomatic, and thus are not identified.

Preventing the infection is the only real and effective therapy, so if you live in a part of The Valley that sees misquito bites, do make efforts to use DEET containing misquito repellants like OFF.

Recognize West Nile infection by its symptoms of:  Fever, aches, chills, associated with severe headache.  If you have concerns, please come in to be checked, but for now, take precautions to reduce your exposure to misquitos and use your repellants.


Diagnosing diseases in travelers can be difficult.  The tests are often inconclusive or based on a series of blood tests done before and after the illness.  The usefulness of accurate diagnosis ‘after the fact’ is of interest, but not particularly practical.   That is why this new test, available in just another week, will allow be a boon for patients and doctors, providing accurate diagnosis and eliminating alternative possibilities.

Dengue is a viral infection acquired through mosquito bites and occurs primarily in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Carribean, but can also be acquired by travellers to temperate areas in Asia.

Symptoms of dengue fever include a high fever; rash or bleeding of the nose and gums; headache, joint, muscle, or bone pain; severe pain behind the eyes; and easy bruising.