Practice Management
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee voted on recommendations for 3 vaccines in recent days, according to CIDRAP. The committee recommended the use of the newly approved 5-in-1 meningococcal (groups A, B, C, W, and Y) vaccine as part of the adolescent meningococcal vaccination schedule. They also recommended that adults aged 50 to 59 years who are at increased risk of severe disease from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) receive a single …
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When kids are exposed to antibiotics before age 2, they may be at greater risk for asthma (hazard ratio [HR] 1.24, 1.22-1.26), food allergy (HR 1.33, 1.26-1.40), and allergic rhinitis (HR 1.06, 1.03-1.10), according to a retrospective analysis published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. While the study doesn’t prove that early antibiotic exposure caused the conditions, the authors note that antibiotics do play a critical role in combatting bacterial infections. Researchers studied antibiotic exposure …
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In California, Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta is gaining benefits from a simple program launched late last year in partnership with the Hear Her campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the care of new mothers. Each mother leaves the hospital with a wristband that says “I gave birth” to wear in the days and weeks after delivery so all clinicians are reminded of the need for specialized treatment should the …
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For adults with mild to moderate asthma, a dose of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) taken in the afternoon suppressed the worsening of nighttime lung function better than other dosing regimens, a small crossover trial published in Thorax showed. A single 400 µg dose between 3PM and 4PM improved nighttime forced expiratory volume compared to baseline in a 28-day study of 25 participants, which included a washout period. However, when the same dose was given between 8AM …
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One of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work groups is considering backpedaling universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations—the current thinking—in favor of recommendations based on individual risk for the occurrence of more severe disease. If the suggestion advances, guidance would still call for adults aged 65 years and older as well as anyone with underlying health risks to receive at least 2 doses of the COVID vaccine every year. However, anyone outside of the high-risk …
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The current number of measles cases is likely higher than what has been reported by health authorities, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official speaking at an agency meeting, as reported by CBS. As of April 11, 2025, a total of 712 confirmed measles cases were reported across 7 outbreaks with 97% of the cases occurring in people who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status. At least 70% of …
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Last week, the Food and Drug Administration seized several hundred counterfeit semaglutide 1mg injection units that were found in the U.S. drug supply. The agency advises any provider who prescribes or treats patients with semaglutide to check the products for those labeled with lot number PAR0362 and serial numbers starting with the digits 51746517. Counterfeits will contain both of these label features, according to manufacturer Novo Nordisk. It is important to note that lot number …
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It’s evident through everyday experience that access to urgent care (UC) can reduce emergency department (ED) congestion and drive better healthcare resource utilization in a community. A literature review published in Cureus recently quantified this same conclusion by analyzing 10 studies conducted between 2015 and 2024, primarily in the United States, which found that the availability of standalone UC centers reduced ED visits by 8% to 17%. One cited study found UC led to a …
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KidMed Pediatric Urgent Care in Gulfport, Mississippi, was awarded the Certified Autism Center credential from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards this month. To earn the designation, KidMed participated in onsite reviews, and staff completed training on practices, skills, and resources to best care for sensory-sensitive children and those on the autism spectrum, according to a press release. Enhancements include dimmable lighting, noise reduction, visual aid cards, and sensory-friendly spaces. KidMed is …
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Accuracy among healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) tools has grown exponentially in a short amount of time, and the place for these tools in urgent care might be that much more evident now. Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine recently concluded that AI has the ability to match and to outperform physicians delivering virtual urgent care. In fact, AI agreed with doctors’ diagnosis and management recommendations 56.8% of the time among the 461 virtual …
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