Practice Management
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates in Florida have surged by 42% over the past decade, surpassing levels from before the pandemic and reaching their highest point since 1990, according to Health News Florida. A leading expert in epidemiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health attributes the rise to factors such as reduced condom use, the popularity of online dating platforms, and illicit drug use. However, it’s also possible that advancements in …
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Urgent message: After a brief hiatus during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of new sexually transmitted infections has resumed at epidemic rates in the United States. With many specialty STI clinics having closed, urgent care may be better positioned than ever to help curb their spread. Glenn Harnett, MD Citation: Harnett G. The rising importance of urgent care in the fight against the STI epidemic. J Urgent Care Med. 2022;16(3):15-20. Key words: …
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Rising rates of antibiotic resistance in general have been discussed extensively. What has not been addressed as specifically is the growing number of cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases. Data that show condom use is declining makes this trend even more alarming, the World Health Organization warns. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that causes the STD, in particular, has become prone to developing resistance to the drugs used to treat it, according to …
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Urgent message: The patients most prone to sexually transmitted diseases are also mostly likely not to have a primary doctor. Many will turn to urgent care for help. THOMAS SUNSHINE, MD, FACOG As urgent care physicians, we often are presented with patients who are worried that they may have a sexually transmitted disease or infection (STD/I). The number of yearly visits is difficult to estimate because the diagnosis codes of the visits vary. The Center …
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Urgent message: The accessibility of urgent care makes it a prime venue for patients preparing for international travel and patients who may have become ill due to exposure to infectious agents while traveling overseas. Francine Olmstead, MD, FACP Whether a patient visits an urgent care center for an infection or a primary care physician for follow-up, every healthcare provider should inquire about anticipated overseas travel. In addition, if a patient is being evaluated for a …
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