Clinical

Florida is the latest state to declare a public health emergency due to a spike in confirmed cases of hepatitis A. The state surgeon general announced there have been more than 2,000 so far this year—vs 548 in 2018 entirely. State and local health officials are investigating the sources, and urging residents to get vaccinated against hep A. Incidence has jumped in other parts of the country, as well. According to the Centers for Disease …

The ongoing surge in cases of measles illustrates the limits of herd immunity—even when we’re talking about a disease that was declared “eliminated” in the United States in 2000. Some “anti-vaxxers” mistakenly rationalize that they and their children don’t need immunizations against measles and other diseases if the majority of people around them have been vaccinated. The scientifically supported fact is that exposure to vaccine-preventable disease can lead to serious illness (or even death), and …

Much of the country has been suffering through a brutal heatwave this week. As temperatures and oppressive humidity rise, unfortunately, air quality goes down, leaving even healthy patients more susceptible to respiratory problems. Those with already-compromised breathing, such as from asthma, COPD, and other conditions, are in really dangerous territory. Add to that the fact that many people travel the country at this time of year (and, hence, don’t have access to their usual providers) …

We’re fairly sure you recommend that sick patients stay home until they’re feeling better and, just as important, they’re no longer at risk of making their coworkers sick. This has never been more essential than during the recent severe flu seasons in the U.S. Fortunately, according to data just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more sick providers stayed home until they’d recovered than in recent years. In fact, health-related workplace absenteeism …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just reported that deaths attributed to opioid overdose declined by 5% between 2017 and 2018—the first time they’ve fallen from one year to the next since 1990. This is no time for urgent care providers to rest on their laurels, however; the CDC says more than 68,000 people died from fatal drug overdoses in the United States last year. That’s still higher than the peak annual deaths from …

Half the states in the U.S. have already reported cases of West Nile virus this year. While the total number of cases is only 39, the concerning part is that West Nile “season” is generally considered to be the entire month of August. The fact that it’s already on the radar of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could be a sign that it will be a heavy year. The type of disease identified …

Cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) have not matched recent outbreaks of influenza and measles in numbers or potential for fatalities, but may be more confounding for physicians and public health officials for one simple reason: While we understand flu and measles and have a bead on why more cases are occurring, AFM continues to be somewhat of a mystery. With the peak season (late summer into early autumn) for new cases of AFM approaching, …

JUCM, the Urgent Care Association, the Centers for Disease Control Prevention, and countless state and local health agencies have been beating the “antibiotic stewardship” drum for quite some time now, as data continue to show the high prevalence of drug-resistant organisms (and the equally high cost, in terms of resultant hospitalizations and deaths). New data from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) show awareness and stewardship interventions can be effective in curbing inappropriate use …

High-profile cases have made it clear that sexual assaults are more common than many of us may have assumed. We’re no longer “safe” to assume that if we haven’t heard more about them, they’re simply not happening. On the flip side, victims of sexual assault may now be more empowered to come forward earlier. Some may get themselves to the emergency room, or call the police as a first step. Because of the expectation of …

The opioid crisis in the United States has moved many healthcare facilities, providers, and governing bodies to consider just how often (and for how long) it’s really necessary to prescribe narcotics for acute pain. If new data just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association are any indication, the correct answer may be, “not very often.” In this study, researchers compared three different opioids vs one opioid-free analgesic for relief of severe, acute …