Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Flu Vaccine More Than 55% Effective in Recent Years

The effectiveness of the seasonal influenza vaccine for kids was more than 55% during the respiratory virus seasons from November 2015 to April 2020, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. The 15,728 US children ages 6 months to 17 years who were studied realized protection against emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalization with at least 1 dose of the vaccine. No difference in estimated effectiveness was observed based on varying levels of flu …

Severe H5N1 Avian Influenza Case Shows Mutations After Infection

In mid-December, a case of H5N1 (avian influenza) in Louisiana was reported as the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now sequenced the H5N1 virus in specimens collected from the patient in Louisiana who became severely ill and compared them to other H5N1 sequences from dairy cows, birds, poultry, and previous human cases. After studying this genetic analysis, researchers …

PCPs Prescribe Antibiotics For Pneumonia Even With Negative Chest Radiography

Researchers found that more than 68% of patients in primary care settings with negative chest x-rays were prescribed antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Two-hundred fifty-nine adults in France with clinically suspected CAP received chest radiography (CR) as part of their evaluations, and 144 (55.6%) had a positive result, according to the study presented in the Annals of Family Medicine. Patients with positive CR had more severe and longer-lasting symptoms—including higher body temperature, faster heart rate, …

Orders for Flu Tests in ED More Than Quadrupled From 2013-2022

The percentage of emergency department (ED) visits that included influenza testing increased from 2.5% in 2013 to 10.9% in 2022, according to a new data brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ED visits for children ages 0–5 years had the highest percentage of tests ordered both in 2013 data (8.6%) and 2022 data (23.1%). Among ED visits by adults, the percentage with an influenza test increased from 1.9% to 9.1% for patients …

Pertussis Surges in Some Northern States

Michigan’s state health department reported more than 1,500 pertussis infections as of December 8, 2024—the highest number of cases in 10 years, according to Mlive. By comparison, the state saw a 596-case average from 2017 through 2019. And Michigan isn’t alone. The Massachusetts department of public health also reported a 5-fold increase in the number of confirmed cases of pertussis with 754 cases on the books through the end of November, compared to 115 in …

Vitamin D, Calcium Have Little Preventive Effect on Fractures

In spite of current thinking, it turns out that vitamin D and calcium actually don’t reduce the risk of falls or fractures in healthy older adults, according to a new draft recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). About 14 million adults aged 65 years or older (27.6%) reported falling at least once in the previous year, making falls the leading cause of unintentional injury among older adults. However, the task force recommends …

Analysis Associates Moms’ Antibiotic Use With Kids’ Health

Antibiotic use in pregnant moms may be associated with negative long-term health outcomes in their children, according to a new analysis in the Journal of Infection. By studying nearly 22 million children from industrialized countries, researchers found that exposure to antibiotics any time during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of immunologic, metabolic, and neurobehavioral adverse health outcomes in children. Among the 23 outcomes investigated, they found antibiotic exposure was associated with, for example, cancer …

Pacemakers Recalled After 2 Deaths in Ambulatory Settings

On December 16, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of certain Boston Scientific Accolade pacemaker devices. According to FDA, the devices present an increased risk of permanently entering Safety Mode, which limits the pacemaker’s functions, preventing it from being able to regulate the heart’s rhythm and rate in some patients. FDA says the risk comes from a manufacturing issue, in which the battery underpowers the system. The recalled devices are in …

Poliovirus Showing Up in Wastewater in 5 European Countries

Countries around the world are reporting wastewater detections of poliovirus. The United Kingdom recently reported 3 wastewater detections of poliovirus type 2, while Germany reported 6 wastewater detections in 6 different cities. Other detections in Finland, Spain, and Poland have been reported recently as well. In general, the European countries that have reported virus detections since September have strong disease surveillance and high routine immunization levels. Meanwhile, Pakistan has reported 3 wild poliovirus type 1 …

Could the Obesity Trend Be Diminishing?

In 2023, the United States saw a slight decrease in obesity prevalence among adults, according to a new research letter describing body mass index (BMI) data from 2013 to 2023 in JAMA Health Forum. In spite of conflicting trends forecasting increasing obesity rates (ie, BMI equal to or greater than 30) over the next decade, researchers found the mean population BMI rose annually from 2013 to 2021, then plateaued in 2022 at 46%, followed by …

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