Neal H. Steigbigel, M.D.
The recent IDSA meeting reviewed many important and interesting findings. Topics spanned a wide array of subjects, many of which are of importance and interest to all physicians.  These subjects included:
- HIV/AID- increasing support for starting HAART earlier
- Influenza-details regarding pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical presentation and treatment for the H1N1 2009 Influenza pandemic infections
- Updates regarding pyogenic bacterial meningitis and Group A streptococcus necrotizing fasciitis
- Management information regarding the all too common hospital-associated multiple drug resistant gram-negative bacillary infections (especially, P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species infections)
- New information on the pharmacology of the polymyxins
- Information on some new antibiotics for methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA) and gram-negative bacterial infections and new assessments of some older antibiotics (vancomycin/daptomycin) that we have been increasingly using
- New information on the diagnosis and management of C. difficile infections.
This high quality meeting has many simultaneous sessions and therefore one individual cannot cover all that is presented. Â Much of the material covered is information that has been available before in publications or discussions, but at the meeting such information is often placed in a more appropriate context with superb critical evaluation.
Attached is a collection of my notes and an occasional editorial comment for the interested reader. Although my notes cannot do justice to each particular piece, I hope to give the reader a flavor of the emerging trends and ideas in the world of infectious disease. Enjoy…
Dr. Steigbigel’s notes from IDSA 2009
Dr. Steigbigel is a Professor in the NYU Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology