Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Pneumonia Diagnoses in EDs, Hospitals Demonstrate Wide Uncertainty

According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, pneumonia diagnoses made in emergency departments (EDs) and hospitals show particular swings in diagnostic uncertainty. Researchers found that in 57% of patients hospitalized for pneumonia in 118 Veterans Affairs hospitals, the diagnosis of pneumonia changed one way or the other between initial presentation and discharge. Of the patients who were initially diagnosed with pneumonia, 36% did not have a pneumonia diagnosis when discharged. Clinical notes, …

All Adults Over 75 Should Get RSV Vaccine: CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated vaccine guidance after its advisory committee recommended that all adults aged 75 years and older and adults aged 60–74 years who are at increased risk should receive a single dose of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. The update reflects CDC’s intent to maximize RSV vaccination coverage among those most likely to benefit and to reduce implementation barriers associated with a previous recommendation that called …

More Antibiotics Used in Virtual UC Compared to In-Person: Study

In a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, data showed that antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) were significantly more common in virtual urgent care (UC) settings vs in-person UC settings. Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found that 58% of RTI virtual visits resulted in an antibiotic prescription, while only 43% of in-person visits did. Data included 19,003 visits to virtual UC and 69,189 visits to in-person UC from 2018 through 2022. COVID-19 …

New Blood Test Offers Option For Colorectal Cancer Screening

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week approved a blood test for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults aged 45 and older. Known as Shield, it is the first blood test to receive FDA approval as a primary screening method for colorectal cancer and to qualify for Medicare reimbursement, according to a press release. While the price has not been announced, the test is expected to reach the market within a week. Shield will …

Cannabis Present In Rising Number of Suicide Reports

A study in JAMA Network Open examined the presence of cannabis in suicide cases, as reported to US poison centers from 2009 through 2021. Researchers found intentional, suspected suicidal cannabis exposures increased by approximately 17% annually. According to national data, 18,689 exposures were reported in the time frame, and nearly all (96.5%) cases involved exposure to more than 1 substance in addition to cannabis. Overall, 9.6% of exposures resulted in death or major adverse outcomes, …

Asthma Patients May Need Fluticasone Alternatives

Earlier this year, drugmaker GSK stopped making the asthma inhaler Flovent (fluticasone)—which was available as a metered-dose inhaler (Flovent HFA) and a dry powder inhaler (Flovent Diskus). Instead, the company opted to produce its own authorized generic version of fluticasone. However, with the manufacturing change, patients are experiencing insurance barriers and delays in getting their prescriptions filled, according to NPR. It’s especially concerning for children under age 5 who may not have many asthma inhaler …

GLP-1 Drugs Increasingly Used For Weight, Not Diabetes

A nationwide population-based study on prescribing trends published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found a significant increase in new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists who don’t have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The proportion of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes decreased from nearly 90% to about 70% from 2019 to 2023, according to a separate analysis of the findings in MedPage Today. Meanwhile, new users tend to be those prescribed the …

Study Finds New Semaglutide Benefits, No Link to Suicidal Thoughts

A study published in the Lancet last week investigated millions of U.S. medical records to determine whether semaglutide increased the risk of neurological and psychiatric conditions within the first year of use compared to 3 other common antidiabetic medications. Authors found no association between semaglutide and a higher risk of the 22 studied conditions (eg, psychosis; bipolar disorder; depression; anxiety; opioid and alcohol use disorder; etc.). In fact, patients on semaglutide showed lower rates of …

Antimicrobial-Resistant Gonorrhea Becomes Global Concern

Canada’s public health agency has reported an increase in antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal infections. Data on 3,377 gonorrhea cases revealed that over a span of 2 years, antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal infections increased while gonococcal cultures demonstrating resistance rose from 24.8% in 2020 to 44.5% in 2021. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was most prevalent, rising from 46.6% of cases in 2020 to 63.1% in 2021. More than 80% of the gonorrhea cases studied were among males, and 55.5% of those …