Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Adults With COVID-19 Also Report Other New Health Conditions

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 …

Eyelash Extensions Often Lead To Mite-Related Irritation

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, …

Hot Days Temporarily Reduce Blood Pressure

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 …

What Is Congenital Measles?

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 …

IDSA Offers New Guidelines For Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

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 …

Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Is An Urgent Care Visit Waiting To Happen

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 …

Respiratory Viruses May Hang Around With Persistent Symptoms

Some respiratory viral infections can be followed by weeks of persistent respiratory, cardiovascular, and functional symptoms, according to an analysis published in Respirology. The review, which included 13 studies involving 631,863 participants, found that influenza had the strongest evidence for long-term effects. In one cohort, 23% of adults reported persistent symptoms 12 weeks after influenza, while a separate claims study found 10% of patients remained symptomatic at 6 months. Postacute complications varied by virus, and …

Food Allergy Prevalence Shows Steady Increase, Care Gaps Remain

Food allergy affects more than 33 million people in the United States, including an estimated 10.8% of adults and 7.6% of children, according to a new national indicator report from Food Allergy Research & Education nonprofit organization. Nearly half of adults with food allergy developed at least 1 allergy during adulthood, which means clinicians might need to consider new-onset food allergy in differential diagnoses for adult patients. Shellfish and wheat are the most commonly reported …

Decades Of Respiratory Disease Prevention Is Paying Off

Long-term U.S. mortality data indicate an overall decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia. A new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data published in Medicine studied adults aged 25 years and older and found the age-adjusted mortality rate fell from 35.93 per 100,000 residents in 1999 to 16.46 per 100,000 residents in 2023, an average annual decline of 3.18%. Total deaths also decreased from 63,006 to 44,625 in the time frame. …

COVID Positivity Rates Increase Just As Seasonal Vaccines Receive Approval

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 4 updated 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming respiratory virus season. All of the new formulations have been updated for XFG variant, according to FDA, and all follow the somewhat tighter age and risk restrictions that were introduced in 2025. Prior to the 2024–2025 season, vaccination was broadly recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older. Now, a healthy 50-year-old with no underlying risk factor, for example, …

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