Infectious diseases

A 78-year-old man presented to a regional emergency department with a severe progressive rash

Andrew DK Nguyen BSc, MB BS · Gabriela Strey MD, FRACP

The New World screw-worm fly is exotic to Australia but travellers could return with an infestation

Sonny Lau MB BS, MPH · Ian Langstaff BVSc, MVPHMgt, MANZCVS · Norbert J Ryan BAgrSci, PhD

Living on a farm and geographic remoteness are key risk factors for Q fever

Surendra Karki MSc, MScIH, PhD · Heather F Gidding BAppSci, MAppEpid, PhD · Anthony T Newall BSc, MHP(Hons), PhD · Peter B McIntyre MB BS, FAFPHM, FRACP, PhD · Bette C Liu MB BS, MPH, DPhil

The low incidence of TB in children in Australia could be further reduced by appropriate screening

Stephen S Teo MB BS, FRACP, PGDipEpid · Ee Laine Tay MB BS, MPH, MAppEpid · Paul Douglas MB BS, MHA, FRACMA · Vicki L Krause MD, DTMH, FAFPHM · Stephen M Graham MB BS, FRACP, PhD

Nursing home-acquired pneumonia can be well treated without moving the resident to hospital

Michael Montalto MB BS, PhD, FRACGP · Man Yee Chu MRCP, FHKAM · Irani Ratnam MB BS, FRACP · Tim Spelman MB BS · Karin Thursky MB BS, BSc, FRACP

Early recognition and prompt treatment of this rare complication will prove lifesaving

Muhamamd A Shahzad MB BS · Samuel P Fitzgerald MB BS · Mrudula H Kanhere MB BS, MD, FCICM

Prolonged needle retention time can lead to significant complications

Constantin E Dlaska MD · Scott Temple MB BS · Michael A Schuetz PhD, FRACS

PADH is a rare but significant complication of artesunate treatment

Ruchir Chavada FRACP, FRCPA, MRCP · Siong H Hui MB ChB, FRACP · Sean O'Connor BMedChem(Hons), MB BS, PhD · Satoshi Akima FRACP · Iain B Gosbell FRACP, FRCPA, FASM

Always obtain a complete travel and exposure history when assessing febrile travellers, and not just their most recent travel

Andrew Burke MB BS, DTMH, FRACP · Stephen R Graves BSc(Hons), MB BS, PhD · Nicholas M Anstey PhD, DTMH, FRACP

Early surgical intervention can salvage vision in endogenous K. pneumoniae endophthalmitis

Phoebe P Moore BMed, MMed · Gerard F McGowan MB ChB, FRCOphth · Sukhpal S Sandhu MD, FRANZCO · Penelope J Allen MB BS, FRANZCO

Improving clinical outcomes through prompt and early targeted use of antibiotics

Ayesha Akram MB BS · Robert P Stevens MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA · Pamela Konecny MD, DTM

Mycobacterial infection is an important consideration in patients with widespread papular eruption in recent tattoos

John W Frew MB BS(Hons), MMed(Clin Epi) · Roland TD Nguyen MB BS, MMedSc, FACD

Differentiating fascioliasis from other parasitic conditions is important, as the recommended management is specific

Mel Figtree FRACP, FRCPA, MPH&TM · Miles H Beaman FRACP, FRCPA, FACTM · Rogan Lee BVSc, MSc, PhD · Michelle Porter DTM&H, FRACP, FRCPA · Eric Torey MB BS, FRACS · Thomas J Hugh MD, FRACS · Bernard J Hudson MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA

Is it ever ethically appropriate for health care workers to decline to care for patients with Ebola, and how should treatment decisions be made?

Thomas Solano MB BS, FRACP, FCICM · Gwendolyn L Gilbert MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA · Ian H Kerridge BA, FRACP, FRCPA · Vineet Nayyar MB BS, FRACP, FCICM · Angela Berry BAppSc(Nurs), MAppSc, PhD

Infections acquired through cheaper overseas medical procedures often lead to costly care at home

Ruchir Chavada FRACP, FRCPA, MRCP · Siong H Hui FRACP · Vana Nagendra FRACP, FRCPA

HIV infection is not only seen in men who have sex with men

Ian J Woolley MB BS, FRACP, MD · Tony M Korman MB BS(Hons), FRACP, FRCPA

The reduction in infection rate observed by Entesari-Tatafi et al may have been due to a variation of the Hawthorne effect

Philip G Reasbeck MD, FRACS FRACMA · Sue Flockhart RN, GradDipInfCont, MNursing

Splenic abscesses are a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of non-typhoidal bacteraemia

Jonathan R Sillar BEng(Hons)/BCom, MB BS(Hons) · Aiveen M Bannan MB BS, FRACP, MPH · Leigh Dahlenburg BMedSc, MB BS(Hons), FRACP

Should antenatal care of women in northern Australian communities include S. stercoralis ELISA testing in routine screening?

Russell Hays MB BS, DTM · Robyn McDermott FAFPHM, MPH, PhD

The first imported case of Lyme neuroborreliosis in Australia highlights the importance of a thorough travel history in a patient presenting with chronic meningoencephalitis

Shradha Subedi MB ChB · David J Dickeson BSc, MPH · James M Branley FRACP, FRCPA, DTM

While vemurafenib induces ultraviolet A photosensitivity, it is important to consider alternative diagnoses when minimal response to therapy is attained

Rachael Anforth BMed · Giuliana Carlos MB BS · Noemi Eiris MB BS · Arthur Clements BSc(Med), MB BS, FRACP · Pablo Fernandez-Peñas MD, PhD, FACD

Could protection from allergies be a collateral benefit of BCG vaccination?

Nicholas Kiraly BM BS, BSc · Katrina J Allen FRACP, PhD, FAHMS · Nigel Curtis MB BS, FRCPCH, PhD

Unnecessary or unnecessarily long courses of antibiotics promote resistance

Gwendolyn L Gilbert MD, FRACP, MBioethics