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Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection is traditionally treated with at least 2 weeks of intravenous antibiotics in adults, 3-7 days in children, and often longer for those with complicated disease. The current practice of treating S. aureus bacteremia with prolonged IV antibiotics (rather than oral antibiotics) is based on historical observational research and expert opinion. Prolonged IV antibiotic therapy has significant disadvantages for patients and healthcare systems, and there is growing interest in whether a switch to oral antibiotics following an initial period of IV therapy is a safe alternative for clinically stable patients.
Immune surveillance by cytotoxic T cells eliminates tumor cells and cells infected by intracellular pathogens. This process relies on the presentation of antigenic peptides by Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) at the cell surface. The loading of these peptides onto MHC-I depends on the peptide loading complex (PLC) at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
Understanding of newborn immune ontogeny in the first week of life will enable age-appropriate strategies for safeguarding vulnerable newborns against infectious diseases. Here we conducted an observational study exploring the immunological profile of infants longitudinally throughout their first week of life.
Medicine acceptability is crucial for paediatric drug development, yet its assessment remains challenging due to the multifaceted nature of sensory attributes like taste, smell, and mouthfeel. Traditional methods of acceptability evaluation often involve complex questionnaires and lack standardisation, leading to difficulties in a comparative analysis across studies.
Controlled human infection (CHI) models can provide insights into transmission of pathogens such as Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A). As part of the Controlled Human Infection with Penicillin for Streptococcus pyogenes (CHIPS) trial, we explored the potential for transmission among participants deliberately infected with the Strep A emm75 strain.
The Healthy Living Practices (HLPs) outline nine essential guidelines for maintaining health in remote Aboriginal communities, yet high costs and poor availability make them financially out of reach for many families. We assessed the cost and availability of essential goods required to support the HLPs in eight remote Kimberley community stores, recording prices during three visits in 2022 as part of the SToP (See, Treat, Prevent) Skin Sores and Scabies Trial, and retrospectively comparing these (inflation-adjusted) with Perth and Broome prices in 2024.
Protection of newborns from infection can be achieved through maternal or vaccine-induced antibodies, but the factors influencing vaccine protection (correlate of protection) and subsequent infant immunity remain insufficiently understood. Further investigation is essential to optimize early-life vaccination strategies.
MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is an ultrarare, X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder that is poorly understood in terms of its natural history and phenotypic variability. There is limited information on how individuals with MDS acquire, retain or lose fundamental functional skills (gross motor, purposeful hand function and communication) - that of which this study aimed to better characterise in the largest case series to date.
Serosurveys are considered as a valuable tool in estimating population immunity and infection rates but recruitment of children to provide paediatric estimates can be challenging. A novel approach of sampling children undergoing anaesthesia was utilised for a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey in Australian children and we explore the reasons for participation, feedback on the approach and importance of research into Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19).
Although evidence supports clinicians to "safely do less" for febrile infants assessed as low risk of serious bacterial infection (SBI), early discharge may increase caregiver concern and reduce satisfaction with care. We captured the self-reported satisfaction and concerns for families enrolled in the study of fever, blood cultures and readiness for discharge in infants less than 3 months old (FeBRILe3), a prospective safety assessment of early discharge of low-risk febrile infants, to aid evaluation of this practice.