Editors in Conversation

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) remain among the most devastating complications in orthopedic surgery, with increasing incidence paralleling the growth in arthroplasty procedures worldwide. While treatment protocols are well-established, evidence supporting current approaches is lacking, and outcomes remain suboptimal, highlighting the need for improved therapeutic strategies. AAC recently published a minireview of randomized controlled trials and emerging evidence for the management for these difficult to treat infection. Today, we discuss with one of the authors of the manuscript and an ID doctor specialized in PJI infections the findings of such paper. Topics discussed: Challenges of treating prosthetic joint infections. Major clinical trial data supporting different approaches for treatment and prevention of PJI Guidance for the approach to these complicated infections. Guests: David Paterson MBBS, Ph.D., Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Joint) Yong Loo Lin School of Public Health (Joint), Director, ADVANCE-ID, National University of Singapore, Singapore.  Ana Victoria Salas-Vargas, M.D. Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Houston Methodist Academic Institute and Weill Cornell Medical College.  Links:  Advancing the management of prosthetic joint infections: a review of randomized controlled trials and emerging evidence https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.00338-25 This episode is brought to you by the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Journal.  Visit asm.org/aac to browse issues and/or submit a manuscript. If you plan to publish in AAC, ASM Members get up to 50% off publishing fees. Visit asm.org/joinasm to sign up.

It's that time of year, folks! No, not leaf-peeping season, or pumpkin spice season or even apple picking season – I'm talking respiratory virus season! The symphony of sniffles and coughs is just around the corner! It's the time of year that clinical laboratories are stocking up on supplies, developing testing algorithms and putting out communications to try to convince people that every kid with the sniffles does not, in fact, warrant a highly-multiplexed respiratory virus panel test. The diagnostic landscape for respiratory viruses has evolved dramatically in the last five years, with widespread institution of molecular tests both in laboratories of all sizes, but also at the point of care – and even consumer direct testing. What's next for respiratory virus testing?  Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/_tXqLyV3-QE

Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, has been around for what seems like forever, causing major outbreaks throughout the millennia and continuing to spread at high rates, globally, into today. When it comes to diagnostic testing, some tests like RPR and VDRL have stood the test of time, having been implemented in the late 1930s and 1940s, and are now used in combination with contemporary methods like EIAs and chemiluminescent assays as the reference standard method to diagnosis syphilis cases. New approaches to screening and diagnosis are needed, however, to increase test access and ultimately case identification and treatment.  Guests: Dr. Kevin Clark Dr. Jody Berry Links:  Clinical development and performance of the First to Know Syphilis Self-Test for over-the-counter usage: a de novo rapid test for treponemal antibody This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM).  Visit journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/or submit a manuscript. Become an ASM member to receive up to 50% off publishing fees when you publish in JCM or any of the ASM journals. Sign up at asm.org/joinasm.  

The launch of ChatGPT three years ago brought the concept of artificial intelligence into the daily conversation. Today, it seems all industries, including lab medicine, are integrating AI with the promise of making our lives easier. How do we best navigate implementing this technology into clinical microbiology? How will it be regulated? … and, what is AI anyway? Watch this epsiode: https://youtu.be/2B_JJEFJv7I Guests: Dr. Susan Sharp Dr. Kendall Bryant Links:  Proceedings of the Clinical Microbiology Open 2024: artificial intelligence applications in clinical microbiology Diagnosis of Plasmodium infections using artificial intelligence techniques versus standard microscopy in a reference laboratory Development and evaluation of an artificial intelligence for bacterial growth monitoring in clinical bacteriology This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM).  Visit journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/or submit a manuscript. Become an ASM member to receive up to 50% off publishing fees when you publish in JCM or any of the ASM journals. Sign up at asm.org/joinasm.

The Journal of Clinical Microbiology has a great tradition of publishing mini-reviews on topics that are important to the clinical microbiology community. Minireviews provide "up to the minute" updates on topics pertinent to clinical microbiologists and serve as fabulous training tools for medical professionals, trainees, and researchers across all disciplines. Dr. Humphries and Dr. Ledeboer discuss what makes a great mini-review, and their favorite mini-reviews published in JCM. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/sXOrfTkoDGM This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM). Editors in conversation is supported by the American Society for Microbiology, which publishes JCM. Become an ASM member to receive up to 50% off publishing fees when you publish in JCM or any of the ASM journals. Sign up at https://asm.org/joinasm. Visit https://journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/or submit a manuscript. Subscribe to the podcast at https://asm.org/eic