More articles from Minireview
MinireviewPharmacy-Based Infectious Disease Management Programs Incorporating CLIA-Waived Point-of-Care TestsThere are roughly 48,000 deaths caused by influenza annually and an estimated 200,000 people who have undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These are examples of acute and chronic illnesses that can be identified by employing a CLIA-waived test. Pharmacies across the country have been incorporating CLIA-waived point-of-care tests (POCT) into disease screening and management programs offered in the pharmacy. The rationale...
MinireviewExpanding U.S. Laboratory Capacity for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Whole-Genome Sequencing through the CDC's Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory NetworkU.S. gonorrhea rates are rising, and antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (AR-Ng) is an urgent public health threat. Since implementation of nucleic acid amplification tests for N. gonorrhoeae identification, the capacity for culturing...
MinireviewDiagnostic Testing for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic FeverCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is the most geographically widespread tick-borne virus, with infection resulting in mortality in up to 30% of cases. Clinical diagnosis alone is difficult due to the nonspecific nature of symptoms; therefore, laboratory diagnostics should be utilized for patients with residence in or travel to regions of endemicity in whom the disease is suspected. This minireview provides an overview of laboratory tests...
MinireviewDiagnostic Mycology: Xtreme ChallengesDeveloping any diagnostic assay that receives United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval can be a slow and difficult process. FDA-approved assays for fungal diagnosis are generally few in number and are focused mainly on diagnosing candidiasis, which is caused by several species of Candida, in addition to a limited number of systemic mycotic agents. While all microbial diagnostic assays face challenges before...
MinireviewLaboratory Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Cases of Suspected Child Sexual AbuseLaboratory diagnosis of microbial agents associated with sexually transmitted infections plays an important role in both the care of victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) and the investigation of suspected CSA incidents, with law enforcement implications. Rapid and sensitive test results prompt immediate actions to treat and protect the victimized children.
MinireviewUtility of DNA Next-Generation Sequencing and Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture in Diagnosis and Management of Chronic or Persistent Lower Urinary Tract SymptomsMany patients suffer from chronic, irritative lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The evaluation and management of these patients have proven difficult with the use of standard diagnostic tools, including urinalysis and urine culture. The growing body of literature on the urinary microbiome has looked at the possible implications of the bladder microbiome and dysbiosis, or perturbations in the microbiome, in conditions associated with...
MinireviewThird-Generation Sequencing in the Clinical Laboratory: Exploring the Advantages and Challenges of Nanopore SequencingMetagenomic sequencing for infectious disease diagnostics is an important tool that holds promise for use in the clinical laboratory. Challenges for implementation so far include high cost, the length of time to results, and the need for technical and bioinformatics expertise. However, the recent technological innovation of nanopore sequencing from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) has the potential to address these challenges.
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MinireviewMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hospitals: Latest Trends and Treatments Based on BacteriophagesEven though antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a natural phenomenon, the alarming increase in pathogenic bacteria refractory to a wide range of antimicrobials is attracting attention worldwide. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published a list of priority pathogens for which new antimicrobial alternatives are urgently needed. Among these pathogens, methicillin-resistant...
MinireviewBringing HIV Self-Testing to Scale in the United States: a Review of Challenges, Potential Solutions, and Future OpportunitiesHIV self-testing (HIVST) provides an at-home option to counter the barriers that patients face with testing performed in health care settings. HIVST has gradually increased in popularity in a time when social media and technology-based solutions are preferred. In this paper, we consider the aspects of self-testing that merit its integration into HIV testing and prevention systems in the United States.
MinireviewDiagnostic Identification and Differentiation of MicrofilariaeThe morphologic similarities of the microfilariae and their infrequency in clinical specimens in settings of endemicity present challenges to clinical laboratories in maintaining competence for accurate identification and differentiation.