Clinical

One of the key messages during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was that an individual’s level of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 had a strong influence on their risk for infection. And while that’s undoubtedly true to some extent—how can you contract a disease you’re not exposed to?—new data suggest that’s an overly simplistic notion.  A study published by JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that one of the most-exposed groups in the United States also experienced lower …

The U.S. healthcare system has been criticized for being a bit too willing to prescribe antibiotics, often for patients who are suffering through viral, not bacterial, infections, thereby fueling increases in antimicrobial resistance. To its credit, the urgent care industry has rallied together to make antibiotic stewardship a priority. That commitment needs to be continued and amplified to fight what the World Health Organization calls “high levels” of antimicrobial resistance around the globe, however, as …

As we reported previously, an outbreak of measles in Ohio and Minnesota has sparked concerns that other states in the region and beyond could be vulnerable to a similar uptick in cases. While that fear has proven unfounded so far, the number of cases in Ohio has continued to climb over the past couple of months. As reported by The Hill, 85 cases have been confirmed, with hospitalization needed for 34 of those patients. The …

The seemingly endless, start-and-stop recovery from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and fluctuating reports of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus rates can suck up a lot of attention in mainstream and medical media—so much so that efforts to prevent other infectious diseases can slide under the radar. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has continued to do its work as usual. ACIP adopted the following standards at …

Tamiflu is the latest medication to be reported in short supply where levels of influenza continue to be high across the United States, according to new information from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. ASHP says 21 oseltamivir presentations are in short supply, with most of the eight manufacturers involved reporting no resupply date. The report notes that some pharmacists have started compounding some medications in response. JUCM News has reported previously on the ongoing …

Older patients are presenting to emergency rooms with complaints related to marijuana use in greater numbers than ever before, according to research just published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Based on a trend analysis of California Department of Healthcare Access and Information records, the researchers reported that the rate of cannabis-related visits by patients 65 years of age and older increased from 20.7 per 100,000 visits to 395 visits/100,000 between 2005 and …

Just a few weeks after we told you hospitals across the country were seeing far more cases of severe Streptococcus A infection than in a typical year, mainstream media outlets are again sounding the alarm that the tripledemic should not be the only concern for healthcare providers and families. According to a report from WWMT in Grand Rapids, MI, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, for one, has seen four cases of severe infection linked to group …

A new wave of specialty clinics is stoking renewed interest from mainstream media and patients in the purported benefits, as well as the risks, of ketamine to treat select mental health issues. Medpage Today published an article online detailing how some providers—one of whom holds a medical license in 45 states—have established booming online “practices” devoted exclusively to facilitating access to ketamine. While ketamine has been used successfully in treating depression and anxiety, the Food …

The fall and winter months have seen nearly constantly fluctuations in rates of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza. Reports from around the country show this is unlikely to change anytime soon. WKRC TV aired a story noting that while flu and RSV have been declining in the Cincinnati area, COVID has had a resurgence that is pushing an ever-growing number of patients to not only area hospitals, but also urgent care centers. Data from …

As JUCM News readers know, public health officials and infectious disease specialists warned that holiday gatherings would likely prove to be fertile breeding grounds for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza. Just a couple of days into the new year, Alabama is the first state to announce that hospitalizations for COVID-19 started climbing shortly after Thanksgiving, to the point that they had essentially doubled (from 264 to 530) by New Year’s Day. Given that the …