Practice Management
A nationwide population-based study on prescribing trends published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found a significant increase in new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists who don’t have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The proportion of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes decreased from nearly 90% to about 70% from 2019 to 2023, according to a separate analysis of the findings in MedPage Today. Meanwhile, new users tend to be those prescribed the …
Read More
A 53-year-old man presents to urgent care concerned about a spreading rash underneath his arms for the past 3 weeks. He initially thought it was an allergic reaction to a new deodorant, but the rash persisted after stopping the deodorant. The rash is not itchy. The patient has a history of type 2 diabetes. On examination, a broad, well-demarcated, thin, scaly plaque is seen extending from the lateral chest over the axilla to the upper …
Read More
Urgent Message: Deep tissue infections are possible considerations for diabetic patients presenting to urgent care with muscle tenderness who recently have had joint or bursal aspirations or injections. Citation: Mati M. Quadriceps Pyomyositis After Aspiration of Patellar Bursitis: A Case Report. J Urgent Care Med. 2024;18(4):25-27. Key Words: quadriceps myositis, diabetes, patellar bursitis, infectious disease Abstract Introduction Infectious myositis and pyomyositis are uncommon and therefore easily overlooked with serious potential complications of bursal aspirations. Clinical …
Read More
The American Heart Association introduced the concept of a new medical condition called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM) in a recent article in Circulation. The rising incidence of multiple chronic health issues in younger Americans, particularly obesity, diabetes, and heart and kidney disease, calls for earlier diagnosis and risk assessment, the association says. The synergy between metabolic risk factors, such as abdominal fat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar, has long-term effects on health …
Read More
A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine involving more than 91,000 female participants 25 to 42 years old reveals that moms with a history of gestational diabetes face a slightly increased risk of mortality over a 30-year period compared to those without a history of the condition. The researchers found that women reporting a gestational diabetes diagnosis were 1.28 times more likely to experience mortality—a rate of 1.74 per 1,000 person-years compared to 1.49 …
Read More
Urgent message: The use of all-inclusive kits with compact, table-top analyzers provides a rapid quantification of HbA1c levels in patients. The use of these tests for in-house screening has the potential to increase the diagnoses of early or asymptomatic diabetes in young adults and under-served or overlooked populations. Jay H. Shubrook, DO; Jane M. Caldwell, PhD; and Lindsey E. Fish, MD Citation: Shubrook JH, Caldwell JM, Fish LE. HbA1c as screening/diagnosis for early or asymptomatic …
Read More
Urgent message: Previously undiagnosed diabetes in elderly patients is too frequently a precursor to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Incidental and unexpected diagnosis of diabetes in older patients in urgent care, especially in normal or underweight individuals, should prompt a discussion about vigilant monitoring for other symptoms of malignancy and close follow-up with a primary care provider. Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FCUCM, FACEP CASE PRESENTATION A 72-year-old woman with a history of hypertension presented to …
Read More
It’s not all that unusual for patients to be diagnosed with diabetes in an urgent care center they’ve visited for unrelated complaints. The question is, how common or uncommon is it, and will knowing the answer to that question help urgent care providers be better prepared for such occurrences? We may have a better idea once the Urgent Care Foundation (UCF) finishes its study to measure the benefits of diabetes screening in urgent care. With …
Read More
An urgent care operator in Ohio is one of the 14 sites in a phase 3 clinical trial for a prospective Allergan product to treat patients with diabetic gastroparesis (DG), a condition that slows or stops the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine. The trial, officially titled A 46-week, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Phase 3 Study With a 6-week Randomized-withdrawal Period to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Relamorelin in Patients with Diabetic …
Read More
The flu season has barely begun, with the peak not expected for at least 2 months, but there’s already an uptick in reported cases—and multiple deaths—around the country. Just last week, Nevada reported three fatalities and North Carolina reported its first of the 2016–2017 season. The grim news is an opportunity to stress to patients the importance of getting their annual flu shot early, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ask …
Read More