While methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection continues to infect Americans with a vengeance, spreading in the community and in the healthcare setting that is no longer confined to the intensive care unit according to recent reports (JAMA. 2007;298:1763-1771), it is good, albeit not completely reassuring, to know that novel compounds that have shown good efficacy against these resistant strains are just around the corner as discussed in this issue of IMWR. The potency of these agents was discussed at a recent infectious disease meeting, as were other new data showing that good old aspirin is an effective therapy that can circumvent the need for valve replacement surgery in those infected with S aureus endocarditis as Dr Eisen explains.

But while researchers are hard at work looking for ways to fight these challenging infections, new threats are stubbornly raising their heads, with viruses migrating from East to West and from the tropics to Europe as a result of climate change, experts report in IMWR. If this emerging trend of migrating organisms and unfamiliar infections is indeed, at least in part, the result of climate change (which is not going away any time soon), one dreads to think what new viruses or resistant bacteria may be upon us in the coming years.

How can you be sure that a patient is presenting with a new type of infection? What tests are available that could help you discern what it is exactly, and how to fight it? And most important, what can you do to prepare for all these unknowns? Keeping up with the medical literature may no longer be a luxury but rather a necessity, even though limited time is one of the most consistent "chronic conditions" of physicians. To help you in this daunting task, this issue highlights some of the most important findings recently reported about emerging and/or problematic infections. We will continue to do so in the coming issues, and more frequent updates are available on the website.

Important clinical information is also reported from several European meetings. At the European Society of Cardiology, physicians reported that intensive blood pressure therapy is effective not only for control of hypertension but also for the prevention of vascular events in diabetic patients, even in the absence of elevated blood pressure. And new evidence presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes shows that intensive glycemic control clearly reduces mortality in diabetic patients. Yet another report points out that many patients with type 2 diabetes will require more than basal insulin to achieve good glycemic control.

Also in an effort to keep you updated on the clinical applications of FDA-approved drugs, we have just launched the monthly feature, "Emerging Drug Trends: Off-Label Use and Misuse." It is available exclusively on our website, so if you wish to know when the next article is posted, or to see what else is new on the website, why not sign up for our twice-monthly e-Newsletter? Signing up online is simple; all we need is your e-mail address.

Another new feature on the website is a tool that allows you to access all medical jobs available online. If you're thinking of looking for a new job in medicine, say, a hospitalist job, click on the "Careers" button at the top of the website and enter the word "hospitalist." You will be presented with a slew of hospitalist positions currently available in this country.

And don't forget that all previous questions and answers in "Maintaining Certification in Internal Medicine" are now available on this website.

Dalia Buffery, Group Editor