Practice Management
In a national cross-sectional survey analyzing vaccination attitudes during pregnancy and among parents of children aged 0–5 years, researchers found a number of pregnant women and parents may be unsure when it comes to the decision to vaccinate their kids or may refuse some vaccines, as published in JAMA Network Open. In the survey sets, 35-40% of US pregnant women and parents of young children say they do intend to vaccinate their child as recommended. …
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In a double-blind, randomized trial of 1,030 children aged 6 months to 18 years with acute gastroenteritis–associated vomiting, researchers found multidose ondansetron administered at home as needed after emergency department (ED) discharge significantly reduced the incidence of moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis during the subsequent 7 days. Among participants with complete follow-up, 5.1% of the ondansetron group experienced moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis (modified Vesikari score 9 or above) compared to 12.5% in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.50; 95% …
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Several pharmaceutical manufacturers have announced the start of their outgoing shipments of influenza vaccines to healthcare providers and pharmacies in preparation for the 2025-2026 flu season, including GSK, CSL Seqirus, and Sanofi, according to a post by CIDRAP. Historically, every spring, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meets to recommend which flu strains to include in the seasonal vaccine—recommendations that allow manufacturers to begin production. At the same time, the Centers for Disease …
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Between 2016 and 2023, emergency department (ED) visits for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) among adolescents aged 13 to 21 years rose significantly with an overall annual increase of 49%, as published in JAMA Network Open. The rate grew from 160.4 to 1,968.3 cases per 1 million ED visits over the study period. Out of 4,571 cases sampled, 27 patients were hospitalized with intensive care. States with recreational cannabis legalization had higher CHS encounter rates overall—1,909.5 …
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A real-world study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that two doses of the adjuvanted recombinant shingles vaccine was estimated to be 74% effective at preventing herpes zoster (HZ) and 84% effective at preventing postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in U.S. adults aged 50 years and older. The study, conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) in collaboration with the vaccine’s manufacturer GSK, evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the recombinant zoster vaccine. Researchers followed participants …
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Urgent care visit volumes continue at a predictable summer pace, but certain states have seen a rise in COVID-19 diagnoses, according to exclusive data from Experity. In fact, patients with COVID are presenting with symptoms that mirror strep pharyngitis, making it harder to tell the difference without testing. Arizona has the top positivity rate in the country at 24.2%, as of July 6, 2025. From mid-May through the beginning of July, the positivity rate has …
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced updates to the labeling of all extended-release stimulant medications indicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of a known risk of significant weight loss in children under 6 years of age. Clinically significant weight loss (at least a 10% decrease in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weight percentile) was observed in both short- and long-term studies with extended-release stimulants. The revised labeling will apply to extended-release …
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A new Florida law now requires that all high school student-athletes receive an electrocardiogram (ECG) before they can participate in school sports programs. Florida is the only state with an ECG requirement as part of sports physicals for students, but others may follow if more high-profile young athletes are treated for sudden cardiac arrest on the sidelines—such as basketball player Bronny James and football player Damar Hamlin. In Florida, youth athletes must be tested in …
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A retrospective cohort study of 245,498 infants born within the Kaiser Permanente system in Northern California between 2011 and 2022 found that maternal influenza vaccination during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of infant influenza in the first 6 months of life, as published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Overall, maternal vaccination was associated with a 44.4% reduction in influenza incidence among infants (95% confidence interval, 31.4–54.9%). Effectiveness varied by timing of the vaccine. Vaccination during the …
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The Food and Drug Administration last week approved lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg. The product is the first twice-a-year PrEP option available in the United States, according to a press release from manufacturer Gilead. It offers an advantage over daily oral PrEP because it requires less frequent dosing, which could lead to better adherence. Clinical trials published in The New …
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