Clinical

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have seen confirmed cases of West Nile virus so far this year—206 cases and counting. On a much smaller scale, four patients have been diagnosed with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Massachusetts. One died, underscoring the severity of the disease. What both sets of data share is that they reflect the dangers of mosquitos to humans in the United States. Given the sudden onset of symptoms, the facts …

It’s believed that widespread administration of human papillomavirus vaccine could prevent roughly 33,700 cancers annually. At the same time, there are two irrefutable facts that speak in favor of vaccination: 1) more than 4,000 women die of cervical cancer each year, with HPV associated with almost every case, and 2) less than half of Americans between the ages of 13 and 17 are getting vaccinated. The disconnect isn’t in public awareness, though; it appears that parents …

We may still be firmly entrenched in summer, but flu season is rearing its ugly head earlier than usual this year. Sporadic cases have popped up from Atlanta to San Diego already. Unfortunately, this coincides with federal health officials revealing there will be a shorter time frame in which people need to get their flu vaccine this year. The Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization put off deciding on the “final” formulation …

E-cigarettes and vaping were promoted by their marketers from the get-go as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco-packed cigarettes. Some companies have suggested their product can be helpful in helping people quit their dangerous addiction. It’s enough to remind one of the mid-20th Century, when licensed physicians were hired to assure American smokers that one brand was “safer” than another. We all know how that turned out. Now, over the past 2 months alone, respiratory …

Despite the best efforts of many clinicians—including urgent care providers—to reduce incidence of opioid addiction and the death and shattered lives that follow in its wake, federal official are taking the unprecedented step of asking providers to screen every adult they see for illegal drug use. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there is simply not enough being done by the very people who write prescriptions for potentially addictive drugs. So, they’re asking all …

At the midway point of August, designated as Vaccine Awareness Month by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and just weeks before the start of 2019–2020 flu shot efforts, there’s a renewed push to help clinicians deal with patients who are convinced they “know” that vaccines a) are a conspiracy to make drug companies and doctors rich; b) cause patients to get the illness they’re being vaccinated against; and c) probably cause autism in innocent children. …

The folks hawking something called Miracle Mineral Solution would have you believe it’s a cure for cancer. Or HIV. Or autism. Unfortunately, a lot of consumers seem to be buying it and using it to their own detriment—so many, in fact, that the Food and Drug Administration felt compelled to issue a strong warning that anyone who is drinking the supposed “miracle” cure should stop immediately or risk severe vomiting, severe diarrhea, life-threatening low blood …

Florida is the latest state to declare a public health emergency due to a spike in confirmed cases of hepatitis A. The state surgeon general announced there have been more than 2,000 so far this year—vs 548 in 2018 entirely. State and local health officials are investigating the sources, and urging residents to get vaccinated against hep A. Incidence has jumped in other parts of the country, as well. According to the Centers for Disease …

The ongoing surge in cases of measles illustrates the limits of herd immunity—even when we’re talking about a disease that was declared “eliminated” in the United States in 2000. Some “anti-vaxxers” mistakenly rationalize that they and their children don’t need immunizations against measles and other diseases if the majority of people around them have been vaccinated. The scientifically supported fact is that exposure to vaccine-preventable disease can lead to serious illness (or even death), and …

Much of the country has been suffering through a brutal heatwave this week. As temperatures and oppressive humidity rise, unfortunately, air quality goes down, leaving even healthy patients more susceptible to respiratory problems. Those with already-compromised breathing, such as from asthma, COPD, and other conditions, are in really dangerous territory. Add to that the fact that many people travel the country at this time of year (and, hence, don’t have access to their usual providers) …