The Year in Abstracts: Top Papers of 2018 for the Urgent Care Clinician Reviewed by Andy S. Barnett, MD This has been an eventful year in the urgent care marketplace. Then again, you could say that at the end of most years in our dynamic, ever-growing industry. That begs the question, what did set 2018 apart from other years? Mergers and acquisitions, evolving technologies, and workplace trends certainly impact what you do every day. But …
Read MoreAbstracts In Urgent Care – November 2018
From ID Week: Outbreak-Related Hep A Infections Are on the Rise Key point: Hepatitis A infection may be evolving from common-source exposure to outbreak exposure. Urgent care clinicians can influence this phenomenon by recommending that at-risk adults receive immunization. Citation: Foster M, Hofmeister M, Yin S, et al. Changing epidemiology of hepatitis A virus infections—United States, 2009–2017. Oral Abstract Session. ID Week 2018. Available at: https://idsa.confex.com/idsa/2018/webprogram/Paper74176.html. Accessed October 8, 2018. Between 2007 and 2017, the …
Read MoreAbstracts In Urgent Care – October 2018
New Data Show ‘Steep and Sustained’ Increase in STD Occurrence—Especially Syphilis Key point: Over the past 5 years, rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have all increased in the United States, with syphilis cases almost doubling and cases of antibiotic-reistant gonorrhea rising. Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018 STD Prevention Conference. New CDC Analysis Shows Steep and Sustained Increases in STDs. August 28, 2018. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/2018/2018-std-prevention-conference.html#Graphics. Accessed September 7, 2018. Every other …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – September 2018
WHO Announces ICD-11, Coming Next Year Key point: New set will reflect current terminologies and classifications, integrate more smoothly with new technologies. Citation: World Health Organization. WHO Releases New International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11). June 18, 2018. Available at: http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/18-06-2018-who-releases-new-international-classification-of-diseases-(icd-11). Accessed August 14, 2018. ICD-10 was released in 2015, but according to the World Health Organization (WHO) we can already expect the next revision, ICD-11, sometime early in the next decade. ICD-11 is supposed …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – July 2018
CDC Attributes 200+ Cases of Coagulopathy to Synthetic Cannaboids Key point: “Marijuana alternatives” are widely available—and being blamed for multiple deaths. Citation: Moritz E, Austin C, Wahl M, et al. Notes from the field: outbreak of severe illness linked to the vitamin K antagonist brodifacoum and use of synthetic cannabinoids—Illinois, March–April 2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:607–608. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that they have received more than 200 reported cases …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – June 2018
Some Oral Antibiotics Up Risk for Kidney Stones Key point: Oral antibiotics are associated with an increased risk for nephrolithiasis in adults and children, with the risk highest in those exposed at a younger age. Citation: Tasian GE, et al. Oral antibiotic exposure and kidney stone disease. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018; May 10. [Epub ahead of print] The prevalence of kidney stones has increased 70% during the last 30 years, with the most disproportionate …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – May 2018
Factors Influencing Provider Efficiency—or Inefficiency—in the ED Key point: Emergency department study on provider efficiency has relevance to urgent care. Citation: Bobb MR, Ahmed A, Van Heukelom P, et al. Which practices make for efficient emergency department providers? Acad Emerg Med. December 18, 2017. [Epub ahead of print] This mixed-methods study published in Academic Emergency Medicine identified five practices/behaviors that increased provider efficiency in the emergency room and two practices that did not. What makes some …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – April 2018
ACP Eases Up on A1c Ceiling for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Key point: The American College of Physicians suggests slightly higher hemoglobin A1c target levels for patients with type 2 diabetes. Citation: Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Kansagara D, et al. Hemoglobin A1C targets for glycemic control with pharmacologic therapy for nonpregnant adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a guidance statement update from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. March 6, 2018. [Epub ahead …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – March 2018
Confirmed Flu Ups Short-Term Risk for MI Key point: Patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza are almost six times more likely to be admitted for acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the following 7 days. Citation: Kwong JC, Schwartz KL, Campitelli MA, et al. Acute myocardial infarction after laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(4):345-353. Results of a cohort study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were almost six …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – February 2018
Revisiting Parameters for Treating Hypertension Key point: New guidelines have lower thresholds for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Citation: Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/ NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Hypertension. [Epub ahead of print November 13, 2017] The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American …
Read More