Clinical

The key to safer, appropriate use of antibiotics may lie in something as simple as better education for both physicians and patients, according to a new study published in Academic Emergency Medicine. Funded by a contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers at UC Davis saw inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics fall by one third in nine emergency departments and urgent care centers in California and Colorado after introducing one of two educational …

The World Health Organization just released data indicating that more than a million new sexually transmitted infections occur in individuals 15 to 49 years of age every day worldwide. The domestic situation is no better, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are “steep and sustained increases in sexually transmitted diseases” in the U.S. The relative anonymity of urgent care, where patients are less likely to have an ongoing medical relationship with …

The winter of 2018–2019 was full of headlines tracking the worst flu season in decades. Then, the resurgence of measles—thought to be “eliminated” in the United States in 2000—took the spotlight. More quietly, and even more insidiously than measles, hepatitis A cases have been mounting across the country. In Ohio alone, 2,997 cases were confirmed over the past year. Since 2016, there have been 20,133 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control …

Prevailing wisdom is that the current outbreak of measles in the United States began when travelers returned from visiting a country where immunization is not the norm to a community where compliance rates are low. It hasn’t taken long for over a thousand people to be diagnosed, and it’s likely the spread isn’t over. The series of events essentially exposed a loophole in the idea that herd immunity is “enough.” Now that Americans are starting …

Pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection (PrEP) has yet to gain traction in urgent care centers—even among operators who recognize the public health benefit. Some have moral qualms about PrEP, believing that offering an added layer of protection encourages high-risk behavior among those already at the greatest risk (namely, men who have sex with men [MSM], heterosexually active men and women, and people who inject drugs). Others are concerned about reimbursements and the complexities of the …

The United States passed an unfortunate milestone this week when the number of confirmed measles cases reached 1,000 (and surpassed it actually, to 1,001). It’s the worst outbreak since 1992 and comes 19 years after measles was declared “eliminated” in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there have been 61 new cases since May 27 alone. Recognizing that public appeals to get vaccinated were falling on deaf ears too often, …

Telemedicine is a hot topic in urgent care circles these days. Some industry leaders herald it as a new way to reach patients and to extend an operation’s reach; skeptics express concern that it’s an obstacle to building a healthy provider–patient relationship and that it facilitates overprescribing. While some of this boils down to a difference of opinion, evidence is mounting that both arguments have merit. A new study out of the University of Pittsburgh …

Weekend hikers will soon be joined on the trail by vacationing families and campers—upping the potential for tick bites and associated disease exponentially as the warm weather weeks wear on. Unfortunately, if recent years are any indication, we can expect to see more cases of tick-borne disease than ever; they’ve risen steadily over the past several years. Notably, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a marked increase in spotted fever rickettsiosis, which …

The 2018–2019 flu season is over—according to the calendar, though new cases continue to be reported. As such, it’s a good time to assess the effectiveness of campaigns to drive immunization rates among healthcare workers. According to data from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), issuing a requirement for healthcare workers to get a flu shot both increases the proportion of staff who do so and lowers the rate of individuals who get the flu. …

When we last updated you on the measles outbreak in the United States, there were 465 cases spread across 19 states. At the time, that was the highest number of U.S. cases since 2000, when measles was declared “eliminated.” Well, the number of cases now sits at 839—a jump of 374 cases—in 23 states, all diagnosed between January 1 and May 10 of this year. One challenge: The potential to contract measles isn’t limited to …