Clinical

It’s not uncommon for patients to travel to other countries to seek care, often because certain procedures may be less expensive than in the U.S. ‘Medical tourism,’ as it’s called, has certain inherent risk, however, such as availability of follow-up care and flying home too soon after a procedure and increasing risk for blood clots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a more specific problem that’s of immediate concern, however. The CDC …

In spite of millions of deaths and hospitalizations, as well as economic hardships and general inconveniences, there has been a segment of the U.S. population that believes COVID-19 is no more of a threat than seasonal influenza. Now that vaccines have been shown to be effective and COVID is no longer in the headlines every day, it’s possible more people than ever think that. New data published in a research letter published by the Journal …

As you probably recall, there was a marked difference in rates of respiratory syncytial virus at a certain point during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that there was essentially no RSV “season” in 2020–21, presumably due to school closures, masking, and social distancing practices. Before the pandemic, RSV cases started to climb in October, peaked in December, and essentially disappeared by April. Now, the Journal …

Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever may get the lion’s share of the headlines, but in reality there are any number of tick-borne illnesses that can accompany tick bites and burrowing. That’s part of the message a ProMedica Urgent Care for Kids nurse practitioner  wanted to impart when she participated in an article published by The Blade in Toledo, OH recently. While it may not surprise you, her explanation that the type of illness …

It’s only been a couple of months since some cities, such as New York, declared the monkeypox outbreak that started in 2022 “over,” but Chicago health officials have issued a warning that from April 17 to just this week seven new cases have been reported there. While they’ve classified the severity of the alert as “low,” they note that only one case had been reported from February 1 through April 16. So, in addition to …

Just a few weeks ago, we told you that the recently discovered COVID-19 variant XBB.1.16 has been reported and increasing in prevalence in at least 18 U.S. states and 22 countries. Now the variant has been dubbed Arcturus, and researchers at the Mayo Clinic report that it has a distinctive effect on individuals who are infected compared with other COVID variants: conjunctivitis. Further, according to the COVID Tracker maintained by the Centers for Disease Control …

Dermatology is referred to as a “specialty” for a reason; like cardiologists, ophthalmologists, and the rest, providers receive specialized training that gives them a wealth of knowledge particular to one field of medicine or another. As such, it’s a rare urgent care provider who could appropriately identify themselves as a dermatologist. That doesn’t mean they’re incapable of treating patients who present with many dermatologic concerns, of course—though whether they feel confident enough to do so …

Individuals 65 years of age and older or who are immunocompromised are now eligible to receive an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after their previous shot, according to a new authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. At the same time, the FDA rescinded authorization for the monovalent vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer because most people who are not already vaccinated are able to receive a single dose of the …

Incidence of Candida auris fungal infections nearly tripled between 2019 and 2021, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Infection. Even more concerning, as reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the fact that C auris infections resistant to the echinocandins that constitute first-line therapy are increasing, as well, albeit at a slower rate than overall infection. The JAMA analysis raises the possibility that institutional burden on …

One subject that tends to get overlooked in the ongoing fight against acuity degradation in the urgent care setting is incidental findings that require further investigation, treatment, or counseling. Whether a patient presents with lower back pain but is then found to have elevated blood pressure, or bloodwork run for a company physical reveals high cholesterol, they need help sooner rather than later. For all they know, they could have been living with (and incurring …