Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Air Quality Issues Continue With Expected Health Impact

U.S. health officials have extended air-quality alerts in locales across the Midwest this week related to smoke from ongoing wildfires originating in Canada. Extraordinarily high air quality index (AQI) readings were recorded in several areas in recent days, although the danger has started to ease thanks to rain and shifting wind. Covenant HealthCare MedExpress in Michigan closed its doors for several hours last week after wildfire smoke compromised air quality inside the building, according to …

Most Physicians Look At Data From Patient Wearables: AMA Survey

An American Medical Association (AMA) survey of 2,222 physicians across 6 countries found strong physician interest in using data collected from consumer wearables, such as smartwatches or over-the-counter biosensors. However, widespread use of the wearable data in clinical practice is limited, according to AMA. Among U.S. physicians, 86% report reviewing at least 1 type of wearable data, most commonly activity and function (67%), heart physiology (62%), events and alerts (55%), sleep (54%), and glucose or …

Adults With Health Conditions Have Higher Incidence of Severe RSV

Researchers found adults with underlying high-risk conditions (HRCs)—such as asthma, congenital immunodeficiency, chronic kidney disease, and others—had a higher risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection than those without such conditions. A community-based study published in Open Forum Infectious Disease followed 7,501 adults aged 18–64 years over 2 RSV seasons. Overall, RSV acute respiratory infection rates were similar in adults with and without HRCs (17.9 cases per 1,000 person-years vs 14.8 cases per 1,000 …

Updated Antibiotic Stewardship Framework Calls For Scalability

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated guidance on the recommended features of antibiotic stewardship programs in outpatient settings. The agency says the updates reflect changes in today’s healthcare system environment, particularly with consideration for the increasing number of outpatient practices that are now under larger health system ownership. According to CDC, the new Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship Programs builds on its original 2016 framework to reflect the latest …

Annoying Flu Symptoms Can Linger For Weeks

Many patients presenting to urgent care with flu symptoms just want relief from the annoyance of their sore throat or body aches. A new study of 724 U.S. adults with confirmed influenza during the 2024–2025 season published in BMC Infectious Diseases found flu symptoms were greatest during the first few days of the illness but often continued on beyond the expected time to recover. In a survey with a selection of 12 flu-related symptoms, participants …

COVID Antiviral Found Safe For Younger Kids

Researchers found the oral antiviral drug nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) is safe for kids as young as age 6 with mild/moderate COVID-19 who were at increased risk for severe disease, as published in Pediatrics. Of the in 75 children in the international study, 81% had 1 risk factor for severe COVID-19, most commonly obesity (49%) or chronic lung disease (40%). Additionally, 56% were unvaccinated. Children aged 6–17 years who weighed 40 kg or more received 300 mg …

Surprisingly, Portal Messaging Doesn’t Reduce In-Person Visits

A large-scale analysis of electronic health record data from more than 2,000 hospitals and 47,000 clinics found that secure patient portal messaging has become a component of outpatient care rather than a replacement for office visits, as published in JAMA. Investigators analyzed communication trends among active patients from 2020–2025 using nearly 8 billion office visits, portal messages, telephone encounters, and telehealth visits. Portal messages coming in from patients rose from 0.99 to 2.50 messages per …

Framework For Musculoskeletal Injuries Helps Avoid Missed Diagnosis

A structured approach to evaluating acute musculoskeletal injuries may help reduce missed diagnoses and unnecessary imaging, according to a review article published in Cureus. Musculoskeletal complaints account for an estimated 20%–25% of emergency department visits, and the authors explain that combining injury mechanism, functional assessment, focused physical examination, and targeted imaging can help identify significant injuries. Validated clinical decision tools can safely reduce unnecessary radiographs while still achieving accurate diagnosis, they say. For example, the …

Heart Failure Definition Gets A Makeover

A new international expert consensus document from leading cardiology groups offers an update on the definition of heart failure, taking into consideration advances in diagnosis and clinical understanding of the disease, as published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. While the statement isn’t a clinical practice guideline—and does not include treatment recommendations—it aims to clarify the definition and adopt it universally. For urgent care clinicians, the most relevant point is that heart …

Cyclosporiasis Intestinal Illness Spreads Across Northeast

Several state health departments are actively investigating a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis. In late June, Michigan reported 177 cases of cyclosporiasis, then by July 4, the case count more than tripled to 572 cases, then grew again on July 9 to 1,251, according to local news reports. The figure represents more than 10 times the usual case counts for the state at this time of year. Ohio, Illinois, and New York are beginning to see …

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