Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Leads to Increase in Adverse Events: FDA

Health officials are raising concern about easily obtained products that have names such as Cosmic Gas and Whip-It! The products are sold in neighborhood retail and convenience stores and might include attractive flavors like strawberry or watermelon. What’s troubling is that they contain nitrous oxide—which when inhaled can result in a variety of adverse health effects, ranging from lightheadedness to paralysis to death. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration posted a consumer warning about …

Probiotics Might Help Reduce Fever For Kids With Respiratory Infection

A small randomized controlled trial in Italy found that probiotics may help children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). From November 19, 2021, to June 20, 2023, 128 children who presented with a fever and URTI were randomized to receive a daily single dose of a probiotic mixture containing Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus or a daily dose of placebo for 14 days. As published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found the median …

Oregon Seeks to Edit Titles of AI ‘Nurses’

This month, the Oregon House of Representatives gave its blessing to House Bill 2748, which mandates that the title “nurse” can only be used exclusively for human beings who practice nursing—in other words, artificial intelligence (AI) systems cannot use the term “nurse.” Lawmakers introduced the bill after concerns that AI chatbot “nurses” could mislead patients. The bill now moves to the Oregon Senate. “As AI adoption grows in medical practice, there will be greater implications …

Baby Sleep Monitors Have Little Evidence of Effectiveness

In the past few years, parents have been attracted to at-home devices to monitor their infant’s vital signs during sleep, which are meant to offer reassurance by providing parents with continuous real-time data. Infant devices might measure, for example, respiratory rate, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, and sleep quality. Beyond just crib cameras, some options include wearable socks, belts, and swaddles. There is virtually no guidance for providers on advising families about the devices or …

Some Links Found Between NSAIDs and Dementia Risk

Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with a 12% lower risk of dementia, although cumulative dose did not affect this risk, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Short-term NSAID use (less than 24 months) was linked to a slightly increased dementia risk. These findings suggest that prolonged exposure to anti-inflammatory medication—rather than high doses—may help reduce dementia risk. Researchers propose that inflammation plays a role …

Partner Treatment Improves Outcomes For Bacterial Vaginosis

An Australian randomized controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that treating the male sexual partners of women with bacterial vaginosis (BV) significantly lowered the recurrence rate of the infection. The study showed that only 35% of women experienced a recurrence when both they and their male partners received treatment, compared to 63% of women who were treated alone without partner treatment. Recurrence rates were 1.6 per person-year in the partner-treatment …

Knee Osteoarthritis Especially Burdensome as Prevalence Increases

A global study published in BMJ Global analyzed the burden of osteoarthritis (OA) among postmenopausal women from 1990 to 2021 and found a significant increase in OA incidence (133.1%), prevalence (139.8%), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (141.9%) over the study period. Knee OA was identified as the most burdensome type of OA, while hip OA had the least impact. The results showed that OA disproportionately affects high socio-demographic regions. In the data, high body mass …

Walgreens Set To Sell Off CityMD Urgent Care

After nearly 100 years as a publicly traded company, Walgreens is going private as part and parcel of a $10 billion buyout deal with private-equity firm Sycamore Partners. The company is on-task to sell Village Medical, Summit Health and CityMD clinic brands, all of which are operated under the VillageMD line of business. Many saw this massive leveraged buyout coming, although the on-again, off-again speculation hinted at prolonged negotiations. For the moment, there is no …

Ohio Law Calls For New Healthcare Workplace Violence Protection Plans

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a new bill into law, requiring hospitals to enhance protections against workplace violence. The law mandates hospitals to create comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans, including staff training, reporting systems for workplace incidents, and policies prohibiting retaliation against staff who report violent incidents. Plans must be developed with input from clinical staff. The law further provides civil immunity for healthcare workers who act in self-defense or defense of others during …

Evidence-Based Medicine Will Influence Malpractice Case Evaluation

The American Law Institute (ALI) has introduced a new medical malpractice standard that integrates evidence-based medicine, marking a departure from the prevailing reliance on customary medical practice. This change encourages courts to consider modern medical guidelines when evaluating negligence claims, offering a more structured approach to assessing legal liability. Individual states may adopt the new standard with their own interpretation to refine legal evaluation of malpractice cases. Historically, malpractice cases have relied on whether a …