Scholars@Duke
Ahmad Mourad

Ahmad Mourad

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Medicine, Infectious Diseases
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Selected Publications

Oral versus intravenous antibiotic therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia or endocarditis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · September 18, 2024 BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to generate more precise estimates of the efficacy and safety of oral versus intravenous antibiotic therapy for S. aureus bacteremia or endocarditis. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBA ... Full text Link to item Cite

Beyond Infection: Mortality and End-of-Life Care Associated with Infectious Disease Consultation in an Academic Health System.

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · June 13, 2024 BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases (ID) physicians are increasingly faced with the challenge of caring for patients with terminal illnesses or incurable infections. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort of all patients with an ID consult within an academic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Clinical outcomes in patients with piperacillin/tazobactam-non-susceptible but ceftriaxone-susceptible E. coli or K. pneumoniae bloodstream infection.

Journal Article J Antimicrob Chemother · June 3, 2024 BACKGROUND: A small proportion of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae demonstrate in vitro non-susceptibility to piperacillin/tazobactam but retain susceptibility to ceftriaxone. Uncertainty remains regarding how best to treat these isolates. OBJECT ... Full text Link to item Cite

Who Benefits? An Assessment of Resident Benefits at Top 50 Academic Institutions.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · March 2024 OBJECTIVE: Residency serves as a crucial time in the professional and personal development of young physicians. Extensive effort is devoted to the clinical training of residents across the country. However, many residents report concerns with compensation, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Higher-Dose Fluvoxamine and Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With COVID-19: The ACTIV-6 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Journal Article JAMA · December 26, 2023 IMPORTANCE: The effect of higher-dose fluvoxamine in reducing symptom duration among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of fluvoxamine, 100 mg twice daily, compared with placebo, for treatin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Scoping review of percutaneous mechanical aspiration for valvular and cardiac implantable electronic device infective endocarditis.

Journal Article Clin Microbiol Infect · December 2023 BACKGROUND: Percutaneous mechanical aspiration (PMA) of intravascular vegetations is a novel strategy for management of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) who are at high risk of poor outcomes with conventional cardiac surgery. However, clear indica ... Full text Link to item Cite

Intravenous aviptadil and remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19-associated hypoxaemic respiratory failure in the USA (TESICO): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Journal Article The Lancet. Respiratory medicine · September 2023 BackgroundThere is a clinical need for therapeutics for COVID-19 patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure whose 60-day mortality remains at 30-50%. Aviptadil, a lung-protective neuropeptide, and remdesivir, a nucleotide prodrug of an aden ... Full text Cite

Disparities in Mpox Vaccination Among Priority Populations During the 2022 Outbreak.

Journal Article Open Forum Infect Dis · September 2023 BACKGROUND: The 2022 mpox outbreak disproportionately affected men who have sex with men and persons living with HIV (PLWH). A 2-dose mpox vaccine series was deployed in mid-2022. Structural racism and insurance status may have affected equitable vaccinati ... Full text Link to item Cite

Which trial do we need? Next-generation sequencing to individualize therapy in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

Journal Article Clin Microbiol Infect · August 2023 We propose a two-stage clinical trial in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). In Stage 1 we will evaluate metagenomic next generation sequencing from blood as a quantitative biological surrogate for clinical endpoint in patients with SAB, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Concurrent Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Patients Tested for Mpox at a Tertiary Healthcare System.

Journal Article Open Forum Infect Dis · August 2023 Coinfection with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and mpox is common. We evaluated concurrent STI testing among Duke Health patients tested for mpox. We found that most patients tested for mpox were not comprehensively tested for STIs, despite concur ... Full text Link to item Cite

Dexamethasone for Inpatients With COVID-19 in a National Cohort.

Journal Article JAMA network open · April 2023 ImportanceLimited effective therapeutics are available to hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Clinical trials and observational studies have shown varying effects of systemic corticosteroids, including dexamethasone, in hospitalized patients with ... Full text Cite

Tixagevimab-cilgavimab for treatment of patients hospitalised with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

Journal Article Lancet Respir Med · October 2022 BACKGROUND: Tixagevimab-cilgavimab is a neutralising monoclonal antibody combination hypothesised to improve outcomes for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. We aimed to compare tixagevimab-cilgavimab versus placebo, in patients receiving remdesivir and o ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The Association of Baseline Plasma SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Antigen Level and Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Journal Article Ann Intern Med · October 2022 BACKGROUND: Levels of plasma SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) antigen may be an important biomarker in patients with COVID-19 and enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether levels of plasma antigen can predict shor ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Lessons from an international trial evaluating vaccination strategies for recovered inpatients with COVID-19 (VATICO).

Journal Article Med · August 12, 2022 The protection provided by natural versus hybrid immunity from COVID-19 is unclear. We reflect on the challenges from trying to conduct a randomized post-SARS-CoV-2 infection vaccination trial study with rapidly evolving scientific data, vaccination guidel ... Full text Link to item Cite

Antiplatelet Therapy in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: No Time Like the Past?

Journal Article Antimicrob Agents Chemother · June 21, 2022 In this invited commentary, we reflect on the accompanying study by A. R. Caffrey, H. J. Appaneal, K. L. LaPlante, V. V. Lopes, et al. (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 66:e02117-21, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.02117-21), which analyzed the impact of clop ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Efficacy and safety of two neutralising monoclonal antibody therapies, sotrovimab and BRII-196 plus BRII-198, for adults hospitalised with COVID-19 (TICO): a randomised controlled trial.

Journal Article Lancet Infect Dis · May 2022 BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of two neutralising monoclonal antibody therapies (sotrovimab [Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline] and BRII-196 plus BRII-198 [Brii Biosciences]) for adults admitted to hospital for COVID-19 (hereaf ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated diffuse alveolar haemorrhage: an atypical presentation of a prevalent pathogen.

Journal Article BMJ Case Rep · April 29, 2022 A transgender man in his late teens presented with signs of multisystem disease, including hepatitis, mucositis and bone marrow suppression. He later developed dyspnoea, leucocytosis and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph. He was treated f ... Full text Link to item Cite

Oral versus intravenous antibiotic therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia or endocarditis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · September 18, 2024 BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to generate more precise estimates of the efficacy and safety of oral versus intravenous antibiotic therapy for S. aureus bacteremia or endocarditis. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBA ... Full text Link to item Cite

Beyond Infection: Mortality and End-of-Life Care Associated with Infectious Disease Consultation in an Academic Health System.

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · June 13, 2024 BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases (ID) physicians are increasingly faced with the challenge of caring for patients with terminal illnesses or incurable infections. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort of all patients with an ID consult within an academic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Clinical outcomes in patients with piperacillin/tazobactam-non-susceptible but ceftriaxone-susceptible E. coli or K. pneumoniae bloodstream infection.

Journal Article J Antimicrob Chemother · June 3, 2024 BACKGROUND: A small proportion of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae demonstrate in vitro non-susceptibility to piperacillin/tazobactam but retain susceptibility to ceftriaxone. Uncertainty remains regarding how best to treat these isolates. OBJECT ... Full text Link to item Cite

Who Benefits? An Assessment of Resident Benefits at Top 50 Academic Institutions.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · March 2024 OBJECTIVE: Residency serves as a crucial time in the professional and personal development of young physicians. Extensive effort is devoted to the clinical training of residents across the country. However, many residents report concerns with compensation, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Higher-Dose Fluvoxamine and Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With COVID-19: The ACTIV-6 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Journal Article JAMA · December 26, 2023 IMPORTANCE: The effect of higher-dose fluvoxamine in reducing symptom duration among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of fluvoxamine, 100 mg twice daily, compared with placebo, for treatin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Scoping review of percutaneous mechanical aspiration for valvular and cardiac implantable electronic device infective endocarditis.

Journal Article Clin Microbiol Infect · December 2023 BACKGROUND: Percutaneous mechanical aspiration (PMA) of intravascular vegetations is a novel strategy for management of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) who are at high risk of poor outcomes with conventional cardiac surgery. However, clear indica ... Full text Link to item Cite

Intravenous aviptadil and remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19-associated hypoxaemic respiratory failure in the USA (TESICO): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Journal Article The Lancet. Respiratory medicine · September 2023 BackgroundThere is a clinical need for therapeutics for COVID-19 patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure whose 60-day mortality remains at 30-50%. Aviptadil, a lung-protective neuropeptide, and remdesivir, a nucleotide prodrug of an aden ... Full text Cite

Disparities in Mpox Vaccination Among Priority Populations During the 2022 Outbreak.

Journal Article Open Forum Infect Dis · September 2023 BACKGROUND: The 2022 mpox outbreak disproportionately affected men who have sex with men and persons living with HIV (PLWH). A 2-dose mpox vaccine series was deployed in mid-2022. Structural racism and insurance status may have affected equitable vaccinati ... Full text Link to item Cite

Which trial do we need? Next-generation sequencing to individualize therapy in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

Journal Article Clin Microbiol Infect · August 2023 We propose a two-stage clinical trial in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). In Stage 1 we will evaluate metagenomic next generation sequencing from blood as a quantitative biological surrogate for clinical endpoint in patients with SAB, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Concurrent Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Patients Tested for Mpox at a Tertiary Healthcare System.

Journal Article Open Forum Infect Dis · August 2023 Coinfection with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and mpox is common. We evaluated concurrent STI testing among Duke Health patients tested for mpox. We found that most patients tested for mpox were not comprehensively tested for STIs, despite concur ... Full text Link to item Cite

Dexamethasone for Inpatients With COVID-19 in a National Cohort.

Journal Article JAMA network open · April 2023 ImportanceLimited effective therapeutics are available to hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Clinical trials and observational studies have shown varying effects of systemic corticosteroids, including dexamethasone, in hospitalized patients with ... Full text Cite

Tixagevimab-cilgavimab for treatment of patients hospitalised with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

Journal Article Lancet Respir Med · October 2022 BACKGROUND: Tixagevimab-cilgavimab is a neutralising monoclonal antibody combination hypothesised to improve outcomes for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. We aimed to compare tixagevimab-cilgavimab versus placebo, in patients receiving remdesivir and o ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The Association of Baseline Plasma SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Antigen Level and Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Journal Article Ann Intern Med · October 2022 BACKGROUND: Levels of plasma SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) antigen may be an important biomarker in patients with COVID-19 and enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether levels of plasma antigen can predict shor ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Lessons from an international trial evaluating vaccination strategies for recovered inpatients with COVID-19 (VATICO).

Journal Article Med · August 12, 2022 The protection provided by natural versus hybrid immunity from COVID-19 is unclear. We reflect on the challenges from trying to conduct a randomized post-SARS-CoV-2 infection vaccination trial study with rapidly evolving scientific data, vaccination guidel ... Full text Link to item Cite

Antiplatelet Therapy in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: No Time Like the Past?

Journal Article Antimicrob Agents Chemother · June 21, 2022 In this invited commentary, we reflect on the accompanying study by A. R. Caffrey, H. J. Appaneal, K. L. LaPlante, V. V. Lopes, et al. (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 66:e02117-21, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.02117-21), which analyzed the impact of clop ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Efficacy and safety of two neutralising monoclonal antibody therapies, sotrovimab and BRII-196 plus BRII-198, for adults hospitalised with COVID-19 (TICO): a randomised controlled trial.

Journal Article Lancet Infect Dis · May 2022 BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of two neutralising monoclonal antibody therapies (sotrovimab [Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline] and BRII-196 plus BRII-198 [Brii Biosciences]) for adults admitted to hospital for COVID-19 (hereaf ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated diffuse alveolar haemorrhage: an atypical presentation of a prevalent pathogen.

Journal Article BMJ Case Rep · April 29, 2022 A transgender man in his late teens presented with signs of multisystem disease, including hepatitis, mucositis and bone marrow suppression. He later developed dyspnoea, leucocytosis and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph. He was treated f ... Full text Link to item Cite

COVID-19 Trials: Who Participates and Who Benefits?

Journal Article South Med J · April 2022 OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately afflicted vulnerable populations. Older adults, particularly residents of nursing facilities, represent a small percentage of the population but account for 40% of mortalit ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Reduction in Expected Survival Associated With Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease.

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · May 18, 2021 BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistically pathogenic bacteria that are found abundantly in the soil and water. Susceptible individuals exposed to NTM-containing aerosols from environmental sources may develop NTM pulmonary disease ... Full text Link to item Cite

Social Disadvantage, Politics, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Trends: A County-level Analysis of United States Data.

Journal Article Clin Infect Dis · May 18, 2021 BACKGROUND: Understanding the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential for public health control efforts. Social, demographic, and political characteristics at the United States (US) county level might be as ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Mortality outcomes with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19 from an international collaborative meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Journal Article Nat Commun · April 15, 2021 Substantial COVID-19 research investment has been allocated to randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, which currently face recruitment challenges or early discontinuation. We aim to estimate the effects of hydroxychloroquine a ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The Remote Misses of COVID-19.

Journal Article Ann Intern Med · December 15, 2020 America's response to COVID-19 is evolving as quickly as the pandemic itself, with attitudes and actions diverging along the way. This commentary explores historical examples of population-wide responses to other large-scale, traumatic events. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgical infection prophylaxis prior to left ventricular assist device implantation: A survey of clinical practice.

Journal Article J Card Surg · October 2020 BACKGROUND: Short duration, antimicrobial prophylaxis that includes antistaphylococcal activity is recommended at the time of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation to reduce infection-related complications. There continues to be wide variabili ... Full text Link to item Cite

COVID-19-associated brief psychotic disorder.

Journal Article BMJ Case Rep · August 11, 2020 A 36-year-old previously healthy woman with no personal or family history of mental illness presented with new-onset psychosis after a diagnosis of symptomatic COVID-19. Her psychotic symptoms initially improved with antipsychotics and benzodiazepines and ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Social Disadvantage, Politics, and SARS-CoV-2 Trends: A County-Level Analysis of United States Data

Journal Article · 2020 Background Understanding the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for public health control efforts. Social, demographic, and political characteristics at the US county level might be associated with the trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 case incidenc ... Full text Cite

1386. Reduction in Expected Survival Associated with Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Infection

Conference Open Forum Infectious Diseases · October 23, 2019 AbstractBackgroundNontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are emerging agents of pulmonary disease, estimated to affect >80,000 people in ... Full text Cite

1176. Antibiotic Prophylaxis Strategies Prior to Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: A Survey of Practice

Journal Article Open Forum Infectious Diseases · October 23, 2019 AbstractBackgroundShort duration, single-agent antimicrobial prophylaxis with anti-staphylococcal activity is recommended at the time ... Full text Cite

2112. Voriconazole for Primary Prophylaxis: A Decade of Trends and Outcomes

Journal Article Open Forum Infectious Diseases · October 23, 2019 AbstractBackgroundInvasive fungal infections (IFI) continue to affect the immunocompromised patient population. Many of these patients ... Full text Cite

Management of Cryptococcosis

Chapter · February 13, 2019 This new edition of Antifungal Therapy aims at providing concise, practical, need-to-know information for busy physicians dealing with fungal infections, such as infectious disease physicians, transplant surgeons, dermatologists, and ... ... Cite

Management of Endemic Mycoses

Chapter · February 13, 2019 This new edition of Antifungal Therapy aims at providing concise, practical, need-to-know information for busy physicians dealing with fungal infections, such as infectious disease physicians, transplant surgeons, dermatologists, and ... ... Cite

Management of Phaeohyphomycosis

Chapter · February 13, 2019 This new edition of Antifungal Therapy aims at providing concise, practical, need-to-know information for busy physicians dealing with fungal infections, such as infectious disease physicians, transplant surgeons, dermatologists, and ... ... Cite

Management of Mucormycoses

Chapter · February 13, 2019 This new edition of Antifungal Therapy aims at providing concise, practical, need-to-know information for busy physicians dealing with fungal infections, such as infectious disease physicians, transplant surgeons, dermatologists, and ... ... Cite

Echinocandins for Prevention and Treatment of Invasive Fungal Infections

Chapter · February 13, 2019 This new edition of Antifungal Therapy aims at providing concise, practical, need-to-know information for busy physicians dealing with fungal infections, such as infectious disease physicians, transplant surgeons, dermatologists, and ... ... Cite

Real-world implications of QT prolongation in patients receiving voriconazole and amiodarone.

Journal Article J Antimicrob Chemother · January 1, 2019 OBJECTIVES: Voriconazole, a triazole antifungal, is frequently prescribed in a complex patient population with comorbidities that require concomitant administration of QT interval-prolonging medications. We sought to evaluate QT interval prolongation in pa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sodium Oxybate: A Cause of Extreme Involuntary Weight Loss in a Young Lady.

Journal Article Case Rep Med · 2019 We present a case of a young lady with extreme involuntary weight loss and alarming constitutional symptoms found ultimately to be all due to a single medication's side effects. The objective of this case report is to alert physicians, especially in a prim ... Full text Link to item Cite

Present and Future Therapy of Cryptococcus Infections.

Journal Article J Fungi (Basel) · July 3, 2018 Cryptococcal infections burden the immunocompromised population with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality. This population includes HIV-infected individuals and those undergoing organ transplants, as well as seemingly immunocompetent patients (non-HIV ... Full text Link to item Cite

The homozygous CX3CR1-M280 mutation impairs human monocyte survival.

Journal Article JCI Insight · February 8, 2018 Several reports have demonstrated that mouse Cx3cr1 signaling promotes monocyte/macrophage survival. In agreement, we previously found that, in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis, genetic deficiency of Cx3cr1 resulted in increased mortality and impaired ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tolerability profile of the current antifungal armoury.

Journal Article J Antimicrob Chemother · January 1, 2018 The tolerability of available antifungal agents is essential to the final outcome of the management of invasive mycoses. There are limited classes of antifungal agents for use, and they can have serious direct toxicities and/or drug-drug interactions. In t ... Full text Link to item Cite

The war on cryptococcosis: A Review of the antifungal arsenal.

Journal Article Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz · 2018 Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common central nervous system infection in the world today. It occurs primarily, but not exclusively, in immunocompromised individuals and despite substantial improvement in management of clinical events like AIDS, the n ... Full text Link to item Cite

QTc Prolongation in Patients Receiving Triazoles and Amiodarone

Journal Article Open Forum Infectious Diseases · October 1, 2017 AbstractBackgroundProlonged QT interval may lead to ventricular arrhythmias, torsade de pointes and sudden death. Triazole antifungals ... Full text Cite

What Can the Clinical Mycology Laboratory Do for Clinicians Today and Tomorrow?

Journal Article Current Clinical Microbiology Reports · June 1, 2017 Purpose of Review: In this review, we discuss the old and new tools available to the clinical mycology laboratory, the “growing pains” in their use, and how they impact patient care and aim to recommend what clinical mycology laboratories need to do to suc ... Full text Cite

Dosing Voriconazole in Obese Patients

Journal Article Open Forum Infectious Diseases · 2017 Full text Cite

The What or the How: a Review of Teaching Tools and Methods in Medical Education

Journal Article Medical Science Educator · December 1, 2016 Medicine is a field that has evolved through the ages and continues to do so with the advancement of basic, clinical, and technological sciences. Accordingly, the roles and requirements of the medical doctor have also been subject to evolution. It is basic ... Full text Cite

Circulating micrornas: Potential biomarkers in cancer detection, diagnosis and prognosis

Journal Article Journal Medical Libanais · January 1, 2016 A large family of small 18-25 nucleotide long non coding RNA molecules now known as microRNA (miRNA) was described two decades ago, and has been recently established as post-transcriptional gene regulators. miRNAs were shown to be involved in the regulatio ... Full text Cite