Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for June 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Three Issues to Consider Before Selecting EHR
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Work flow, features and functionality, and technical infrastructure should all be considered in advance of selecting an electronic heath record (EHR) system, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Patients Want Online Access to Physicians, Health Records
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Internet-savvy Americans would like to add their doctors to their group of Facebook friends or e-mail contacts, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
AMA Discusses Pre-Retirement Evaluation for Aging Doctors
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues relating to physician retirement and evaluation of aging physicians before retirement are discussed in a Council on Medical Education report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
As U.S. Smoking Rate Drops, Smokers More Likely to Quit
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — As the number of smokers in the United States drops, those who still light up are smoking less and more likely to try quitting, according to a study published online June 24 in Tobacco Control.
H3N2 Mutation to Blame for Low Efficacy of 2014-15 Flu Vaccine
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A mutation in the H3N2 virus led to a mismatch between it and the H3N2 strain used to create the 2014-2015 vaccine, according to research published June 25 in Cell Reports.
Statin Use Linked to Improved Post-Surgical Outcomes
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Statin use might help reduce major complications after lung surgery, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
SCOTUS Upholds Subsidies for Affordable Care Act
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the legality of tax subsidies for millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Prenatal Exposure to H2 Blockers, PPIs Ups Asthma Risk
THURSDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Prenatal exposure to H2 blockers (H2Bs) or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with a small but significantly increased risk of asthma in offspring, according to a study published online June 20 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Global Public Awareness of Venous Thromboembolism Is Low
THURSDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Global public awareness about thrombosis, venous thromboembolism in particular, is low, according to a study published online June 18 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Yearly CT May Adequately Monitor Non-Solid Lung Nodules
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with non-solid lung nodules of any size, annual computed tomography (CT) scans may be all that’s needed to monitor their condition, a new study suggests. The report was published online June 23 in Radiology.
Low Rate of ICD Implantation in Elderly, Despite Good Results
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than one in 10 older myocardial infarction (MI) survivors receive a potentially lifesaving implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), according to a new study published in the June 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Visit-to-Visit SBP Variability Not Linked to Major Cardiac Events
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Inadequate blood pressure (BP) control, but not visit-to-visit variability of systolic BP, is associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) among patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published in the July 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Lung Disease Under Radar for Many Long-Term Smokers
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Millions of long-term smokers may have undiagnosed lung disease, according to a study published online June 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Academic Detailing Could Boost Treatment of Tobacco Use
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An educational outreach program, academic detailing (AD), can improve the frequency of physicians’ performance of simple and complex components of tobacco use treatment, according to a study published in the June issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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About 8 Percent of SLE Patients Have Pulmonary HTN
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About 8 percent of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have pulmonary hypertension (PH), and serum uric acid (UA) has reasonable accuracy for predicting PH, according to a study published in the June issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Medical Identity Theft Incidents Increasing
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical identity theft is on the rise, costly to consumers, and challenging to resolve, according to the fifth annual report published by the Ponemon Institute.
Caution in Social Media Age: Self-Promotion Can Backfire
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a series of experiments, researchers found that people who self-promote often offend others. The study was published in the June issue of Psychological Science.
Medications Can Increase Risk of Heat-Related Illness
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Commonly used medications may increase the risk of dehydration and heat-related illness during hot weather, according to an article published online June 13 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Six-Minute Walk Distance IDs Post-Lung Transplant Survival
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing lung transplantation, six-minute walk distance (6MWD) predicts postoperative survival, according to a study published online June 11 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Hundreds Arrested Nationwide for Medicare/Medicaid Fraud
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of people have been charged after health care fraud sweeps were made across the United States, the federal government said Thursday.
Health Highlights: June 19, 2015
FDA Cracks Down on Online Sale of Illegal Medical Products
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with international partners, moved this week against more than 1,050 websites that sell potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines and medical devices, the agency said Thursday.
Virtual Credit Card Fees Amount to 3 to 5 Percent of Payments
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Payment with virtual credit cards (VCCs) is associated with considerable fees, although physicians are often unaware of these charges, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Increased Sleep Duration Linked to Increased T2DM Risk
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Increased sleep duration is associated with increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online June 11 in Diabetes Care.
Risk Score IDs One-Year Mortality in Elderly With NSTE-ACS
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A risk score involving five covariates can predict one-year mortality risk in patients ≥75 years presenting with non-ST-segment elevation (NSTE) acute coronary syndromes (ACS), according to a study published in the July 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Community-Acquired Pneumonia Confers Long-Term Risk
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is associated with increased risk of long-term adverse events, according to a study published online June 11 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Fluoroquinolone Preventive Therapy Deemed Beneficial in TB
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fluoroquinolone therapy for contacts of individuals with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is associated with cost savings and reduced incidence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, according to a study published online April 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Direct Messaging Not Yet Widely Adopted by Physicians
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Direct secure messaging (Direct), which is a standardized protocol for exchanging clinical messages and attachments, has not been widely adopted by physicians, despite its potential for improving care coordination, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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Review Examines Inappropriate Prescribing of IV Fluids
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluids most often involves incorrect volumes and types of IV fluids prescribed, according to a review published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Article Weighs Paying Off Student Loans Versus Investment
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Newly-minted physicians should consider the issues relating to paying off their loans versus investing for retirement, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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Half of Cancer Deaths Due to Past, Current Smoking
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About half of U.S. deaths caused by certain cancers — including lung, colorectum, and pancreatic tumors — can be attributed to smoking, a new American Cancer Society study estimates. The report was published online June 15 as a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Asthma Rx Deemed Less Likely to Work in Patients Aged 30 and Up
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Asthma treatments, especially inhaled corticosteroids, are less likely to work for older patients, according to a study published online June 11 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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AdaptivCRT Algorithm Linked to Reduction in Readmissions
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with heart failure or all-cause index hospitalization, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices equipped with the Medtronic AdaptivCRT (aCRT) algorithm correlate with a reduction in 30-day readmission, according to a study published online June 10 in JACC: Heart Failure.
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Aerobic Fitness Measures Predict Post-AAA Complications
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables can predict postoperative complications after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, according to a study published in the June issue of Anaesthesia.
Car Crash Risk Up for New Users of Sedating Sleep Meds
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Sedating sleep medications increase the risk for car accidents among new users compared with nonusers, with risk continued for up to a year among regular users, according to a new report published online June 11 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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CDC Advises U.S. Health Professionals to Be Alert for MERS
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Government officials are advising U.S. health professionals to be alert for signs and symptoms of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) following an outbreak in South Korea.
Macrolide Resistance Doesn’t Impact Pneumonia Outcomes
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients hospitalized with macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia are not more severely ill and do not have worse outcomes, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Some Graduating Seniors Not Matching to Residency Positions
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than 250 of this year’s graduating seniors from U.S. medical schools did not match to a residency position, according to the American Medical Association.
Aerobic Exercise Tied to Improvement in Asthma
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Aerobic workouts may help ease asthma, according to a study published online June 10 in Thorax.
Report Offers Guidance on Medical Ethics Education
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An analysis of the current state of medical ethics education in the United States has been published in the June issue of Academic Medicine. The article, the Romanell Report, also offers guidance to assist medial ethics educators in meeting expectations.
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Geographic Location Most Important for Residents
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For residents, the most important element in a future practice is geographic location, with lifestyle, adequate call hours and personal time, and a good financial package also cited as being important, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Extra Time During MCAT Linked to Less Success in Med School
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical school applicants with Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores obtained with extra test administration time have lower rates of success in medical schools, according to a study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
CDC: Seeking Those Exposed to Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health authorities are trying to find anyone who may have had contact with a woman who has been diagnosed with a highly drug-resistant form of tuberculosis.
Review: Cognitive Behavioral Techniques Benefit Insomnia
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) helps patients fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, according to a review published online June 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Professional Guidelines Have Limited Impact on Pre-Op Testing
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The publication of 2002 professional guidelines on routine preoperative testing correlated with a reduction in routine electrocardiogram testing, but not in the incidence of radiography, hematocrit, urinalysis, or cardiac stress testing, according to research published online June 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Analysis Targets U.S. Hospitals With Highest Markups
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest charge-to-cost ratio have markups approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowable costs, and most of these hospitals are for profit, according to a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs.
AMA Offers Guidance for Physician-Hospital Relationships
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines can enable successful physician hospital relationships and integrated leadership, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Scoring System Helps Predict Post-Hospital Mortality
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A fairly simple scoring system appears to accurately estimate patients’ risk of dying within a year of hospitalization, according to research results reported online June 8 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
CDC: Vaccine Production for 2015-16 Flu Season Underway
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Having acknowledged that the 2014-15 flu vaccine was mismatched to the circulating influenza strains, U.S. health officials have strengthened next season’s vaccine for broader protection.
Utility Score Can Help Predict Mortality in ICU Patients
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A utility score can help predict poor outcome and survival among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study published online May 26 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Study IDs Surgical Never Events, Contributing Factors
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Surgical never events and contributing human factors have been identified, with individual cognitive factors contributing one half of all nano-codes, according to a study published online May 29 in Surgery.
Most ER Patients With Low-Risk PE Eligible for Outpatient Tx
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The majority of adults presenting to the emergency department with low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) are eligible for outpatient treatment, but relative contraindications to outpatient management are associated with increased frequency of adverse events at 30 days, according to a study published in the May issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Surgery Deemed Fitting for Some Stage IIIB NSCLC Patients
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with stage IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could live longer by undergoing surgical resection, instead of receiving only chemotherapy and radiation, according to research published in the June issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Healthy Teens Exhibit Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Healthy adolescents may have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, according to a study published online April 24 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Morbidity, Mortality Up for Patients With Delirium in ICU
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Intensive care unit patients who develop delirium have a higher mortality risk, longer hospital stays, and are more likely to have cognitive impairment after hospital discharge, according to a review published online June 3 in The BMJ.
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Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Formed
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nine states have enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact law, with the seventh state’s enactment triggering formation of a commission to administer a process for physicians seeking licensure in multiple states, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
CMS: Hospital Charges for Common Procedures Up
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prices hospitals charge patients for a number of common procedures rose more than 10 percent between 2011 and 2013, more than twice the rate of inflation, according to data released by the federal government Monday.
Some Varenicline Concerns Not Supported by Evidence
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Varenicline (Chantix) doesn’t increase the risk of suicidal behavior, mental illness, criminal acts, or traffic accidents, according to a study published June 2 in The BMJ.
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6-Minute Walk Test Predicts Pulmonary HTN Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF), the six-minute walk distance (6-MWD) test can independently predict outcome, according to a study published in the June issue of JACC: Heart Failure.
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U.S. Organ Donation System Needs ‘Disruptive Innovation’
TUESDAY, June 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many state policies meant to increase organ donations and transplant rates have had almost no impact, according to new research published online June 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
RA-Related Issues Impede Smoking Cessation
TUESDAY, June 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), such as distraction from pain and frustration of living with RA, may impede smoking cessation in RA patients, according to a study published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Sleep Apnea Risk Found to Rise With PTSD Severity in Veterans
MONDAY, June 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For U.S. veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the risk of sleep apnea increases along with the severity of the mental health condition, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
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