Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease 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.
Sequence of Shots May Lead to Effective HIV Vaccine
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A sequence of immunizations against HIV might hold the key to a successful vaccine, a new experimental study suggests. The study was published in the June 18 issue of Cell.
Web Process to Provide Timely Guidance in HCV Management
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — — A living document has been developed to aid practitioners treating patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). A document update and a summary of recommendations have been published online June 25 in Hepatology.
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CDC Examines Prevalence of Undiagnosed HIV
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many people have undiagnosed HIV, with the prevalence varying by geographic area, according to a report published in the June 26 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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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).
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.
Indiana Lifts Ban on Needle Exchange to Curb HIV Outbreak
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Allowing needle-exchange programs is one way to curtail the recent HIV outbreak in rural Indiana, according to a viewpoint piece published online June 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Rapid Ebola Test Shows Promise in African Clinics
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new rapid-detection test that diagnoses Ebola within minutes could improve treatment of the virus and help health care workers contain outbreaks, according to research published online June 25 in The Lancet.
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.
Intradermal HBV Vaccine Efficient for Intramuscular Nonresponders
THURSDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For intramuscular hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine nonresponders, intradermal vaccine administration seems efficacious and safe, according to a study published online June 23 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Cocaine May Have Multifactorial Impact on HIV Infection
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cocaine exposure has a multifactorial impact on HIV infection that extends beyond high-risk behavior, according to an experimental study published online June 18 in Scientific Reports.
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CDC: Costly Epidemic of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in AZ
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever among several American Indian tribes on two reservations in Arizona has led to more than $13.2 million in societal costs in nine years, according to research published online June 1 in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Acid Suppression Medications Up C. difficile Risk in Children
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Use of acid suppression medication is associated with increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in infants and children, according to a study published online June 9 in Clinical Infectious 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.
B. cenocepacia Overrepresented in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Burkholderia cenocepacia is overrepresented in initial stream urine of men with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Urology.
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.
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.
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
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).
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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Mutations in DOCK2 ID’d in Early-Onset Invasive Infections
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Biallelic mutations in the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2) have been identified in children with early-onset severe infections, autoimmunity, or both, according to a study published in the June 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Case Report: Pregnancy Could Mask Symptoms of Ebola
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The unique immunologic status of pregnant women might alter the presentation and progression of Ebola virus disease (EVD), according to a letter published in the June 18 issue of the New England Journal of 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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Increased Infection-Linked Mortality in DM Greater for T1DM
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with diabetes have increased risk of mortality from various infections, and the increased risk appears to be greater for type 1 than type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online June 12 in Diabetes Care.
Chromosomally Inherited HHV-6 Linked to Elevated Risk of Angina
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with inherited chromosomally integrated human herpesvirus 6 (iciHHV-6) may face three times the risk of angina as others, according to new research published online June 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Meta-Analysis: Oral Sex Is Not Risk Factor for Oral Cancer
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Oral sex is not an independent risk factor for oral cancer, according to a meta-analysis published online June 11 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.
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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Cancer-Specific Mortality Up in HIV-Infected Cancer Patients
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — HIV-infected patients with cancer have increased cancer-specific mortality, according to a study published online June 15 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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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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.
Shorter Antibiotic Course Post Abdominal Surgery May Be Viable
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A shorter course of antibiotic treatment for abdominal infections after surgery may be as equally effective as a longer course, a new study suggests. The findings were published in the May 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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.
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).
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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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.
CDC: Drug-Resistant Foodborne Bacteria on Rise
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Antibiotic-resistant infections from foodborne germs still cause about 440,000 illnesses in the United States each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
Rotavirus Vaccination Reduces Gastroenteritis Hospitalizations
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The widespread use of rotavirus vaccine has been very successful in the United States, according to a study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Another Tick-Borne Disease Documented in Northeast
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The same ticks that spread Lyme disease may also carry a rarer bacteria, Borrelia miyamotoi, that’s causing serious illness in the northeastern United States, according to a new report published online June 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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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).
CDC Guidelines Update Treatment, Management of STDs
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New recommendations have been provided to update the 2010 guidelines on the treatment and management of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The 2015 guidelines are available online in the June 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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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.
Vaccine Tied to Less Postherpetic Neuralgia in Shingles
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Even when herpes zoster vaccination does not prevent the disease, it reduces the risk of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), according to a new study published June 1 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
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.
CDC: 1 in 5 U.S. Teens, Younger Adults Tested Recently for HIV
TUESDAY, June 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one-fifth of teens and younger adults in the United States have been tested recently for HIV, federal health officials reported Tuesday.
Physician Intervention Doesn’t Cut Maternal Vaccine Hesitancy
MONDAY, June 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A physician-targeted communication intervention does not reduce maternal vaccine hesitancy, and schools with high levels of personal belief exemptions (PBEs) are often colocated with schools with elevated personal medical exemption (PME) rates, according to two studies published online June 1 in Pediatrics.
Abstract – Henrikson
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Abstract – Carrel and Bitterman
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