Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Update: CDC Clarifies Its Stance on Risk of Anaphylaxis with the COVID-19 Vaccine

Media coverage of two British healthcare workers who experienced anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer/BioNT version of the COVID-19 vaccine last week led to widespread presumption that the vaccine should not be given to patients with a history of allergic reactions to vaccinations. In an effort to dispel that notion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an announcement stating that the vaccine is believed to be safe for use in all patients, but that …

Urgent Care Patients with Kidney Disease and COVID-19 Could Be in for a Tough Time

Obesity, hypertension, lung ailments, and any number of conditions have been linked to increased risk for complications in patients with COVID-19. While chronic kidney disease has not often gotten much attention, a new study published by PLOS ON indicates that CKD could actually be the leading risk factor for hospitalization in infected patients. The paper reflects analysis of the electronic health records of 12,971 individuals, 1,604 of whom had CKD; of those, 354 (22%) required …

CUCM Advises Close Scrutiny to the Reassessment of the COVID-19 Quarantine Period

Readers of JUCM News know the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the amount of time it recommends quarantining for certain people with, or who have been exposed to, COVID-19. Now the College of Urgent Care Medicine is advising urgent care providers to read the proverbial fine print in that guidance. The CUCM stresses that the CDC statement offers “acceptable alternatives” to the quarantine periods, in spite of the fact that multiple media reports …

Be Sure You and the Health Department Are on the Same Page When It Comes to the COVID-19 Vaccine

With several COVID-19 vaccines heading for approval and rollout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Each state has required every state to submit plans for statewide administration, including distribution and how populations within the state will be prioritized. Of even more relevance to the urgent care operator, the plans are also expected to include provider enrollment details. If this is news to you, or if you’re fuzzy on the details, you should be aware …

Be Alert: Thromboembolism Raises Risk for Mortality with COVID-19

The first evidence that rates of venous and arterial thromboembolism are high in patients with COVID-19 has arrived, in the form of an article just published in The Lancet’s online journal EClinicalMedicine. The meta-analysis of 42 studies involving 8,271 patients notes that rates range anywhere from 20% to 70% among patients who have been diagnosed with the virus. Overall mortality rate among patients with COVID-19 and thromboembolism was 23%, vs 13% without thromboembolism. The authors concluded …

Free Webinar: Now Is the Time to Help Your Team Stave Off Burnout

Burnout is always a concern in busy urgent care centers. However, with a 46% increase in visit volume and urgent care centers administering 25% of U.S. COVID-19 tests weekly recently, the risk is greater than ever. While you may not be able to singlehandedly end the COVID-19 crisis, you can take steps to provide care for your team. Some of them will be spelled out in an upcoming webinar, Managing Provider Burnout: Tips for Physicians …

On the Heels of a Solo Home Test, FDA OK’s a Combo COVID-19–Flu Kit

Just last week we told you about an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a home COVID-19 test—along with an admonition that self-testing may make already-insufficient reporting of COVID-19 data even worse. As the pandemic continues and we wade deeper into flu season, the FDA has now authorized the first home dual test for COVID-19 and influenza A and B. Available by prescription only, the Quest Diagnostics product includes a self-collection …

Update: Study Finds No Evidence That DOAC Use Reduces Risk for Severe COVID-19

Anecdotal evidence that ongoing direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use might reduce a patient’s risk for severe disease with COVID-19 appears to have been wishful thinking, if the results of a study just published in the Journal of Internal Medicine are any indication. The authors found no association between DOAC use and lower incidence of hospital admission for COVID-19, or a composite of intensive care unit admission of death. As such, they concluded that DOAC use …

Free JUCM Webinar: Don’t Wind Up in Court Over Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing

There’s a constant push-and-pull in every urgent care center in the country: prescribe antibiotics only for the indications for which they’re approved, or give in to patient demands that they “need” an antibiotic even if your years of medical training and experience tell you otherwise. Refuse the patient and they just might stalk out of your office and write a damning review on social media. Give them exactly what they ask for (ie, prioritize making …

Where Do Urgent Care Providers Fall in the Recommended Order of COVID-19 Vaccination?

As many as 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccine may be available in the United States by the end of this year. While that’s clearly good news, it’s significantly fewer than will be needed to offer widespread protection and make a dent in the pandemic. That being the case, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has issued its official recommendations on who should be able to be immunized first …