Some gleanings from the meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Philadelphia, October 29-November 1. 2009

January 6, 2010


idsa_logoNeal 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.  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