Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

ER Doc Pioneers 3D Instruments to Help Gaza and Ukraine

A decade ago, Tarek Loubani, an emergency medicine physician and Kuwait-born Palestinian refugee, developed the world’s first 3D-printed stethoscope to address the medical equipment crisis in under-resourced global communities. In 2016, he founded the Glia Project, and the organization is now actively printing critical medical equipment for providers in conflict zones like Gaza and the Ukraine, according to STAT News. The group aims to empower local communities to produce their own 3D-printed equipment with the …

Phenylephrine Removed From Shelves

In a unanimous decision, an FDA advisory committee recently determined that phenylephrine, a key ingredient in popular over-the-counter nasal decongestants, is no more effective than a placebo in treating cold and allergy symptoms. The committee reviewed mounting evidence indicating that oral phenylephrine is an ineffective remedy for nasal congestion, even though many consumers use products that contain it, such as Sudafed PE and NyQuil. In response, CVS retail pharmacies discontinued the sale of products containing …

19% of Health Workers Feel Burned Out

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes the well-being and working conditions for health workers using self-reported, cross-sectional data. From 2018 to 2022, health workers reported an increase in days where they felt their mental health was poor (from 3.3 days to 4.5 days). Meanwhile, the percentage who reported feeling burnout “very often” increased from 11.6% to 19.0%. Overall, 57.0% reported anxiety symptoms in 2022, and 44.2% reported being …

What Amazon is Saying About Urgent Care

In a recent press release announcing its capabilities for treating cold and flu symptoms, Amazon Clinic—the telehealth channel of the Amazon enterprise—took a dig at urgent care. Its chief medical officer said in the release, “When many people feel sick, they end up at urgent care without knowing what they’ll be charged.” The retailer provides upfront pricing on its telehealth services and considers it an advantage for consumers. Those with high deductibles are especially sensitive …

Patient First Set For Halloween X-ray Tradition

Once again, Patient First is offering community members free X-rays of their trick-or-treat Halloween candy each evening until November 3. The goal is for kids to become familiar with the urgent care setting and the providers and staff, which may ease some anxiety should they return for another reason. Not to mention, looking at the caramel center of a candy bar is much more fun than looking at a broken bone. Possible recruitment for the …

Physicians Fight Drug-Seeking Behavior

More than 111,000 people died as a result of a drug overdose between April 2022 and April 2023, according to the most recent federal data. Compared to January 2015 data—when deaths reached 47,523—today’s overdose numbers have increased a staggering 133%. Medical Economics recently created a checklist of red flags to watch for in patients who might be seeking prescription pain medications as a way to ward off cravings or withdrawal associated with substance use disorders. …

New RSV Vaccine Recommended For Rationing by CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended rationing nirsevimab, the new monoclonal antibody immunization product designed to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), due to strained supply nationwide. Because the supply challenges are occurring during the RSV season, CDC suggested on Monday in a health alert that providers should prioritize available nirsevimab 100 mg doses for infants of less than 6 months of age and infants with underlying conditions that place …

GNC Throws Its Hat Into the Urgent Care Business

Nutritional supplement retailer GNC is yet another consumer-facing outfit expanding its reach into healthcare provider services. Three new GNC membership plans will offer virtual visits for urgent care and primary care, according to a press release. The tiered membership plans start at $34.99 for a full year with no added cost for visits or medication fills from a list of more than 100 prescriptions. The next highest tier costs $9.99 per month and includes more …

Blues Plan Acquires 50 FastMed UCs

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has agreed to acquire more than 50 North Carolina-based locations of FastMed. The pending acquisition is set to close in early 2024, and once the deal is finalized, FastMed would operate independently from the not-for-profit Blue Cross NC. The Blues plan has been a non-controlling minority investor in FastMed since 2012, and it will acquire only FastMed’s North Carolina locations. FastMed also provides telehealth, …

Enhanced Nasal Suctioning Doesn’t Help Baby’s Bronchiolitis

A study in JAMA Network Open compared the effectiveness of enhanced nasal suctioning and minimal suctioning in infants with bronchiolitis discharged home from pediatric emergency departments (EDs). In a clinical trial of 367 infants at 4 tertiary-care pediatric EDs in Canada, participants were randomized to minimal suctioning via bulb or enhanced suctioning via a battery-operated device. The authors found enhanced suctioning did not alter the disease course compared with minimal suctioning. Get some sleep: How …