Practice Management
Public health officials have confirmed a mumps outbreak at San Diego State University (SDSU). Five confirmed and/or probable cases have been identified as of September 18, and all the cases are among student athletes on a single team. The students are no longer considered contagious. In response, the San Diego County Public Health Services hosted a clinic for students to screen for mumps symptoms and also to provide a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine boosters …
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A meta-analysis found that people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have significantly higher statistical odds of multiple gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (eg, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.) than those without an ADHD diagnosis. The analysis published in the Journal of Attention Disorders included 23 studies representing more than 1.9 million participants, which based findings on validated symptom instruments as well as self-reported patient symptoms. Overall, ADHD was associated with 48% higher odds of GI …
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A study of urgent care centers published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases found that medication-dispensing kiosks, combined with an antimicrobial stewardship program, could be useful to support antibiotic stewardship principles. In late 2019, a Florida health system installed medication kiosks in 20 of its urgent care centers, providing prepackaged antibiotics corresponding to guideline-supported antibiotic courses. Instead of sending a patient’s prescription to a community pharmacy, for example, the urgent care clinician could send the electronic …
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A national study of 31,800 primary care physicians from internal medicine and family medicine residency programs found a connection between residency ratings and antibiotic prescribing during the physicians’ first 5 years of practice. In this study, the competency scores included Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestone ratings across 6 core competency areas: patient care, medical knowledge, professionalism, communication skills, systems-based practice, and practice-based learning. Physicians with higher competency ratings near the end of their …
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A population-based Canadian study found SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with subsequent new diagnoses of certain self-reported health conditions among adults. Compared with adults reporting no infections, those reporting 2 or more bouts of COVID-19 had 76% greater adjusted odds of receiving a new health diagnosis overall (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–2.76), including newly diagnosed respiratory conditions (aOR=5.03) and back problems (aOR=3.79), as published in Canada Communicable Disease Report. The study grouped …
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A small study presented at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons this week found high rates of eyelid and ocular surface issues among young women who regularly used eyelash extensions (semipermanent fibers glued individually to natural eyelashes for cosmetic enhancement). Among survey participants who had received extensions at least 10 times, 85% showed signs of meibomian gland dysfunction. Nearly half (47.6%) of women who had extensions reported discomfort, redness, …
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A large cross-sectional study published this month in JAMA Network Open found that extreme heat was associated with small, short-term reductions in blood pressure among adults receiving outpatient care. The analysis included 2,554 community health centers across 40 states, examining more than 4.2 million summer encounters from 2019–2023. On days of extreme heat, patients’ recorded adjusted systolic blood pressure was 0.7 mm Hg lower and diastolic blood pressure was 0.3 mm Hg lower than the …
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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a new document that provides guidance on congenital measles, including its definition, clinical presentation, evaluation and management, infection control, long-term follow-up, and prevention. Organized with frequently asked questions, the document was developed in response to ongoing measles outbreaks and the potential for congenital measles cases in the United States, according to AAP. The clinical information is important because presentations of congenital measles infection are highly variable, ranging from …
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Recently, the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) released the first guidelines on management and treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). The evidence-based guidelines include practical advice for clinicians who manage patients with cUTIs in outpatient settings. For example, clinicians can view the UTI and cUTI classifications intended to guide treatment (not diagnosis) as well as recommendations on the selection and duration of definitive antibiotic therapy for cUTI. UTI is common: IDSA notes that …
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Inhalants and their health effects deserve more study, according to a new analysis. Leveraging federal health data, researchers found that among 33,771 U.S. adolescents aged 12–17 years, 2.2% of them reported using inhalants such as aerosol sprays and nitrous oxide in the past year, as published in Preventive Medicine. The inhalants are often used recreationally for their euphoria effects, leading to accidental poisonings and overdoses. With these new estimates of inhalant use, the authors conclude …
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