▸ Most physicians are still unaware of the new guidelines for subacute bacterial prophylaxis. In 2007, the American Heart Association issued the first major revision of these guidelines and endorsed antimicrobial prophylaxis for only five circumstances: prosthetic heart valves, prior infective endocarditis, cardiac transplant with valvulopathy, unrepaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, and repaired congenital heart disease with either prosthetic patch or other device in the first 6 months after placement or beyond that if there is a residual defect at the site of patch or device. Read more about it at: www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3047051
▸ A rise in tuberculosis cases will occur in the United States. A recent study in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed a particular risk for undocumented immigrants with tuberculosis to be sicker longer than documented immigrants or U.S.-born patients. With this comes a potential for increased risk for transmission.
▸ Do you know about the CDC's Web site for students who are planning to Study Abroad (www.cdc.gov/Features/StudyAbroad