Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for January 2018. 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.
Glecaprevir-Pibrentasvir Effective Treatment for HCV Genotypes 1, 3
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Once-daily treatment with glecaprevir-pibrentasvir appears safe and effective for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 or 3, according to a study published in the Jan. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Increased Risk of Appendicitis One Week After Colonoscopy
TUESDAY, Jan. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The risk of appendicitis is increased in the week following colonoscopy, according to a research letter published in the January issue of JAMA Surgery.
Regulators Trying to Reduce Physician Burden Linked to EHR
MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is trying to address some of the issues relating to physician electronic health record (EHR) burden, partly with the appointment of Don Rucker, M.D., who is skilled in informatics and board-certified in emergency and internal medicine, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
2016 Saw Increase in Birth Defects Potentially Linked to Zika
MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — From the first half of 2016 to the second half of 2016, there was an increase in the number of birth defects potentially related to Zika virus infection, according to research published in the Jan. 26 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Health Care Spending Up, Mainly Due to Rising Prices
MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Americans under age 65 years who were insured through their employer spent more than ever before on health care in 2016, with faster spending growth in 2016 than in recent years, according to the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI)’s annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report.
Influenza, Some Viral URIs Increase Risk of Acute MI
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Certain respiratory infections, especially influenza, are associated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction during the first seven days after respiratory specimen collection, according to a study published in the Jan. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Next-Generation Sequencing May Be Useful in Joint Infection
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Next-generation sequencing may be useful for identifying causative organisms in culture-negative periprosthetic joint infection, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Infection Is Most Common Complication of Facial Implants
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The most common complications of facial implants include infection, implant migration, and extrusion, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Diabetes Tied to Higher Rates of Serious Infection
TUESDAY, Jan. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patients with diabetes, particularly type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), are at increased risk of serious infection, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in Diabetes Care.
Out-of-Pocket Expenditures Down With ACA Implementation
TUESDAY, Jan. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was associated with reduced out-of-pocket spending, although increases were noted in mean premium spending, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Older Adults Less Likely to Have Provider-Ordered Flu Testing
MONDAY, Jan. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Older adults are less likely than younger adults to have provider-ordered influenza testing, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Confusion Common in Seniors Prescribed Antibiotics for UTI
MONDAY, Jan. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in nursing home (NH) residents, and new or worsening confusion is strongly associated with antibiotic treatment for suspected UTI, according to a study published online Jan. 10 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Urinalysis Is Effective for UTIs in Younger Febrile Infants
FRIDAY, Jan. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For febrile infants age 60 days and younger, urinalysis is highly sensitive and specific for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to a study published online Jan. 16 in Pediatrics.
Reminder, Recall Systems Improve Immunization Uptake
FRIDAY, Jan. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patient reminder and recall systems seem to be effective for improving receipt of immunizations, according to a review published online Jan. 18 in the Cochrane Library.
Professionals Disagree About Asking Patients About Sexuality
THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — National Health Service (NHS) England recently recommended that professionals ask all patients their sexual orientation at every opportunity, although opinions are divided on whether this is appropriate, according to an article published online Jan. 17 in The BMJ.
Human Rhinovirus Commonly Detected in Febrile Infants
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For febrile infants, human rhinovirus (HRV) is common, and detection does not alter risk of concomitant urinary tract infection or invasive bacterial infection, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Pediatrics.
Psoriasis Remission Described After Hepatitis C Virus Treatment
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A case of remission of psoriasis after treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been described in a research letter published online Jan. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Non-Ventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Risk Affects All Ages
FRIDAY, Jan. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) is a significant burden in U.S. acute care hospitals and poses a risk to nonelderly, non-intensive unit (ICU) patients, according to research published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
AMA Online Tools Address Systems-Level Physician Burnout
THURSDAY, Jan. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Tools and resources have been developed to help address physician burnout at the systems level, which may affect more than half of doctors, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Progress in Fighting Antibiotic Resistance Shown in CDC Map
THURSDAY, Jan. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new data in its Antibiotic Resistance Investment Map, which shows states’ progress in combating antibiotic resistance.
Economic Impact of Physicians Quantified for 2015
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physicians have a large economic impact across the nation, creating an aggregate of $2.3 trillion of economic activity and supporting employment of nearly 12.6 million Americans, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.
Week’s Worth of HIV Meds in a Single-Dose Capsule Feasible
TUESDAY, Jan. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A novel oral dosage form enables sustained release of antiretrovirals, allowing delivery for up to one week after a single administration, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in Nature Communications.
HIV Screening Most Optimal at 25 Years of Age If No Risk Factors
TUESDAY, Jan. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For young adults without known risk factors, a one-time routine HIV screen at 25 years would optimize clinical outcomes and be cost-effective, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Mental Disorders Common in Kids With Chronic Physical Conditions
TUESDAY, Jan. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Children with a physical condition frequently have a mental disorder, which impacts quality of life, according to a study published in the January issue of BMJ Open.
Repeated Flu Vaccinations Help Prevent Severe Infection
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Vaccination for influenza for multiple seasons is twice as effective in preventing severe influenza — compared with non-severe influenza — in older patients admitted to hospital, according to a study published in the Jan. 8 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Adjuvanted Shingles Subunit Vaccine Likely More Cost-Effective
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The new adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine (HZ/su) is cost-effective compared with the currently recommended live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine (ZVL), according to a study published online Jan. 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Type 1 IFNs May Mediate Zika Pregnancy Complications
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Type 1 interferons (IFNs) may mediate pregnancy complications in the context of congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, according to a study published in the Jan. 5 issue of Science Immunology.
2005 to 2015 Saw Fewer High School Students Having Sex
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For high school students, the prevalence of ever having had sexual intercourse decreased from 2005 to 2015, according to research published in the Jan. 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Pharmacies Can Up Access to Direct-Acting Antivirals for Hep C
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Provider collaboration with local specialty pharmacies (LSPs) is associated with reduced delays in therapy and lower rates of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) denial for patients with hepatitis C, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.
Physicians Frequently Continue to Work While Ill
FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Many physicians continue working and caring for patients while they are sick, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
For Hospitals, No Benefit for Early Adoption of Financial Incentives
FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Hospitals that volunteered to be under financial incentives for more than a decade as part of the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (early adopters) do not have better process scores or lower mortality than hospitals where these incentives were implemented later under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program (late adopters), according to a study published online Jan. 4 in The BMJ.
Certain Stresses, Burnout Causing Some Women to Leave Medicine
THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Though equal numbers of men and women are now entering medical schools, the majority of physicians are still male, and female physicians face several unique stressors, according to a report published online in Medical Economics.
Herpes Simplex Infrequently Found in Infant Meningitis Eval
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Young infants assessed for central nervous system (CNS) infection rarely have herpes simplex virus (HSV), according to a study published online Jan. 3 in Pediatrics.
HSPC-Derived CAR T-Cells Capable of Lasting Engraftment
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are capable of long-term engraftment in a model of HIV/AIDS, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in PLOS Pathogens.
Increase Seen in Gabapentinoid Use From 2002 to 2015
TUESDAY, Jan. 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) — From 2002 to 2015 there was a substantial increase in gabapentinoid use, according to a research letter published online Jan. 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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