Practice Management
Healthcare workers receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccine had a 45% lower risk of having symptoms 6 weeks after infection, as published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. From December 2021 to April 2022 (during the omicron period), workers who had COVID-19 and had also received a 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose had a lower prevalence of any symptoms compared to those who did not have a 3rd dose when measured at 6 weeks post-infection (adjusted odds ratio …
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The Food and Drug Administration is considering a recommendation for tailoring the COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season to the JN.1 variant, according to Reuters. It’s been the dominant variant this year, and shots may target JN.1’s subvariants as well. The subvariant KP.2 was estimated to account for more than 28% of COVID-19 cases over a 2-week period in mid-May. Not unlike the annual flu vaccine, COVID vaccines are developed months in advance …
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Urgent message: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, unvaccinated people have shown higher rates of morbidity and mortality in comparison with those who are fully immunized. While most vaccination adverse reactions are mild and self-resolving, it is important to consider the timeline of vaccinations to correlate possible adverse reactions. Amanda dos Santos, MD and Michael Pallaci, DO, FACEP, FACOEP INTRODUCTION The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic continues to affect all aspects of our society and …
Read MoreMaximizing the Value of Urine Dipstick Testing Screening for Intimate Partner Violence Antibiotics for Children with RTI Azithromycin in Pediatric Viral Infection Self-Monitoring BP with Unvalidated Devices Modified Valsalva Maneuver in SVT To Mix or Not to Mix COVID-19 Vaccines? Ivan Koay, MBChB, FRNZCUC, MD Nitrofurantoin Resistance Take-home point: Proteeae group bacteria, which are often resistant to nitrofurantoin, normally result in alkaline (ie, high pH) urine on dipstick testing. Citation: Sheele J, Libertin C, Fink …
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Taylor wore her embroidered sorority sweatshirt and a mask below her nose when she came to see me. She was 19 and had just finished her freshman year at the local university. Her story was cliché, as well: cough, runny nose, and sore throat “that wouldn’t go away.” She’d been sick for 8 days and she’d come in to get antibiotics. This isn’t a story about antibiotic stewardship, though. “Have you been tested or vaccinated …
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Sergio Ramoa MD, MS Urgent Message: With variant COVID-19 mutations, incomplete herd immunity, and less restrictive government regulatory statues, it is important to remain vigilant with continued testing and prevention even with a full vaccinated history. Introduction In the United States, cases of COVID-19 have passed 32,000,000 and 570,000 for deaths. 141,000,000 cases and 3,000,000 deaths have afflicted the world. Approximately 9.6% of infected individuals are hospitalized and a majority have mild to moderate symptoms.1 …
Read MoreAs practices start offering vaccinations for COVID-19 to their patients, we are getting a lot of questions about whether the patient can be billed for the administration. The answer is an emphatic No. The Office of the Inspector General has received complaints from patients about charges by providers when getting their COVID-19 vaccines. So, on April 15, 2021, the Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi A. Grimm issued a message regarding provider compliance with the COVID-19 …
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As of this writing, more than 57 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed across the United States. Roughly 16 million people have been vaccinated, with many more to follow. Unfortunately, around one-third of Americans don’t plan to be among them, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On the assumption that vaccination providers will come to include more urgent care centers, it’s essential that you have solid information to …
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