Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Orders for Flu Tests in ED More Than Quadrupled From 2013-2022

The percentage of emergency department (ED) visits that included influenza testing increased from 2.5% in 2013 to 10.9% in 2022, according to a new data brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ED visits for children ages 0–5 years had the highest percentage of tests ordered both in 2013 data (8.6%) and 2022 data (23.1%). Among ED visits by adults, the percentage with an influenza test increased from 1.9% to 9.1% for patients …

Pertussis Surges in Some Northern States

Michigan’s state health department reported more than 1,500 pertussis infections as of December 8, 2024—the highest number of cases in 10 years, according to Mlive. By comparison, the state saw a 596-case average from 2017 through 2019. And Michigan isn’t alone. The Massachusetts department of public health also reported a 5-fold increase in the number of confirmed cases of pertussis with 754 cases on the books through the end of November, compared to 115 in …

Analysis Associates Moms’ Antibiotic Use With Kids’ Health

Antibiotic use in pregnant moms may be associated with negative long-term health outcomes in their children, according to a new analysis in the Journal of Infection. By studying nearly 22 million children from industrialized countries, researchers found that exposure to antibiotics any time during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of immunologic, metabolic, and neurobehavioral adverse health outcomes in children. Among the 23 outcomes investigated, they found antibiotic exposure was associated with, for example, cancer …

Pacemakers Recalled After 2 Deaths in Ambulatory Settings

On December 16, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of certain Boston Scientific Accolade pacemaker devices. According to FDA, the devices present an increased risk of permanently entering Safety Mode, which limits the pacemaker’s functions, preventing it from being able to regulate the heart’s rhythm and rate in some patients. FDA says the risk comes from a manufacturing issue, in which the battery underpowers the system. The recalled devices are in …

Poliovirus Showing Up in Wastewater in 5 European Countries

Countries around the world are reporting wastewater detections of poliovirus. The United Kingdom recently reported 3 wastewater detections of poliovirus type 2, while Germany reported 6 wastewater detections in 6 different cities. Other detections in Finland, Spain, and Poland have been reported recently as well. In general, the European countries that have reported virus detections since September have strong disease surveillance and high routine immunization levels. Meanwhile, Pakistan has reported 3 wild poliovirus type 1 …

Could the Obesity Trend Be Diminishing?

In 2023, the United States saw a slight decrease in obesity prevalence among adults, according to a new research letter describing body mass index (BMI) data from 2013 to 2023 in JAMA Health Forum. In spite of conflicting trends forecasting increasing obesity rates (ie, BMI equal to or greater than 30) over the next decade, researchers found the mean population BMI rose annually from 2013 to 2021, then plateaued in 2022 at 46%, followed by …

New HPV Strategy Includes Self-Collection Screening Tests

A new draft recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggests that testing for human papilloma viruses (HPV) every 5 years starting at age 30 is a preferred screening strategy, emphasizing the need for testing for high-risk HPV with vaginal samples as opposed to the traditional cervical cytology pap tests. The USPSTF notes that the HPV test is more effective than a pap test as a cervical cancer screening tool for ages 30 …

AI Tool Correctly Detects Epileptic Syndrome in Infants By Watching Videos

An artificial intelligence (AI) model accurately detected infantile epileptic spasm syndrome through the assessment of smartphone videos captured by families, according to a study published in a medRxiv preprint that has not been peer reviewed. Among the results, the AI model had 82% sensitivity and 90% specificity. The infantile epileptic spasm syndrome diagnosis is considered a neurologic emergency, according to MedPage Today, and experts believe the AI platform has potential as a screening tool. Infants …

Head-to-Head Study Compares GLP-1 Weight Loss

In a pharmaceutical head-to-head, tirzepatide was found to provide 47% greater relative weight loss compared to semaglutide. On average, patients using tirzepatide lost 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg), and those using semaglutide lost 33.1 lbs (15.0 kg) after 72 weeks. In addition, for the study’s secondary endpoint, 31.6% of people taking tirzepatide achieved at least 25% body weight loss compared to 16.1% of those taking semaglutide. The randomized, open-label trial included 751 participants across the United …

Which Children Receive First-Line Antibiotics in Urgent Care Most Often?

In a new study of children 6 to 18 months of age, researchers found the odds of receiving first-line antibiotic therapy in pediatric urgent care centers (PUCs) were lower among White children and those with commercial insurance than in other groups. Authors of the study presented in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology looked at guideline-recommended first-line antibiotics for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) for 396,340 encounters at 28 PUCs in the United States over 1 year. …

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