Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

CDC Pleads for Clinicians to Be Antibiotics Aware

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is intent on driving down inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics, and using U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week and World Antibiotic Awareness Week to unveil a new educational campaign called Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care. The CDC says at least 2 million Americans become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually—with at least 23,000 dying as a result. With over 160 million patient visits every year, according to the Urgent Care …

New Data Predict Flu Season Will Be ‘Worse than Average’

A new predictive model from the University of Chicago indicates we should prepare for a flu season that’s “worse than average.” One important indicator in the model is the severity of flu in Australia, where the seasons are ahead of those in the U.S.; Australians just suffered through their worst flu season on record. The data underscore the importance of getting immunized early in the season—as in, now—especially for those at highest risk, such as …

The Potential Role of Urgent Care in Addressing the Opiate Epidemic

Urgent message: Opioid abuse, addiction, and resultant deaths have drawn the attention of both the medical community and legislative bodies from the local health department to the White House. Urgent care is a frequent destination for addicts trying to secure drugs illicitly—but it also has the potential to be the first stop on the road to recovery. Jason M. Ramos and Robert S. Crausman, MD, MMS Case Presentation Manny is a middle-aged white male who …

CDC: Offering a Flu Shot Moves More Pregnant Women to Get One

Despite the fact that pregnant women and infants are increased risk for severe, influenza-related illness, nearly half of women approaching childbirth fail to get a flu shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, in a recently published study, the CDC also found that simply offering to give a pregnant woman a flu shot increased the rate of coverage from 56% to around 70%. The report is careful to distinguish making a …

CDC Offers Guidance on Treating Patients Returning Home from Hurricane Areas

Urgent care centers in hurricane-affected areas have probably gotten into the habit of looking for sudden respiratory ailments and signs of illness related to consumption of tainted water or food. However, the vast numbers of relief workers and volunteers who flocked to help residents affected by the recent storms are now returning home, where providers may not have such issues at the top of their minds. Recognizing that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

CDC Recommends Two Flu Shots for Kids 6 Months to 8-Years-Old

In addition to reminding clinicians that all patients 6 months of age and older should receive flu shots by the end of this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to get the word out that children between 6 months and 8 years of age should receive their vaccinations twice, approximately 28 days apart. Like last year, the CDC also recommends against using the nasal pump spray because it’s been deemed inefficient …

West Nile Virus is Back with a Vengeance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has served notice that 47 states and the District of Columbia have confirmed cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in people, birds, or mosquitoes this year. All told, there have been 1,295 cases among humans. California has seen the most—258 cases, with 47 popping up in a single week this month, including 12 fatalities. Texas is second in the country, with 105 cases, but has a higher number …

CDC Says Flu Vaccines Have ‘Plateaued’—so Start Promoting Its Benefits

Just the other day we shared data indicating that healthcare professionals are far less inclined to get a flu shot if their workplace doesn’t require it or offer the immunizations on site. Now comes word from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the whole country’s influenza vaccination rate has plateaued—leaving us all at higher risk for an outbreak. New figures from the CDC reveal that since the 2013-2014 season, the rate for adults …

Want to Drive Flu Shot Compliance for Your Providers? Demand It!

Despite longstanding advice that people over the age of 6 months should be vaccinated against influenza, more than half of healthcare professionals (HCPs) opt out unless they’re required to get a shot by their employers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 75% of HCPs got a flu shot in preparation for the 2016-2017 flu season—but in clinics and other settings where vaccination was not “required, promoted, or offered on site,” …

CDC Calls for More Prevention Against a ‘Persistent Enemy’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling for a “renewed commitment from all players” to fight sharp increases in sexually transmitted diseases. In the past year alone, more than 2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the U.S. While 1.6 million of those cases were chlamydia, there were 470,000 cases of gonorrhea and nearly 28,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis. Calling STDs “a growing threat,” the agency stressed …