Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for October 2017. 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.
Ohio Upholds Law Requiring HIV-Infected to Tell Sex Partners
TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Ohio Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the constitutionality of a law requiring HIV-infected individuals to tell their sexual partners of their status before having sex, according to a report published by the Associated Press.
Children of Immigrants Less Likely to be Up-to-Date on Shots
TUEDAY, Oct. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Children up to age 36 months with at least one foreign-born parent are less likely to be up-to-date on recommended vaccinations, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Depressive Symptoms Increase During Internship Year
TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Depressive symptoms increase during the internship year for training physicians, with a greater increase among women, according to a study published online Oct. 30 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Maternal Use of Acetaminophen Linked to ADHD in Offspring
MONDAY, Oct. 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Maternal use of acetaminophen in pregnancy is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring, according to a study published online Oct. 30 in Pediatrics.
Cataract Surgery Associated With Reduced Mortality in Women
THURSDAY, Oct. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For older women with cataract, cataract surgery is associated with lower all-cause and cause-specific mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Panel Recommends New Zoster Vaccine as First-Line Treatment
THURSDAY, Oct. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In a close 8-7 vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that Shingrix be chosen over Zostavax as the herpes zoster vaccine of choice in adults aged 50 and older, the Washington Post reported.
HIV Drug Resistance Is Threatening Gains of Treatment
THURSDAY, Oct. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Resistance to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is threatening the recent gains of treatment in the rate of new HIV infections, according to a perspective article published online Oct. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Gifts From Pharma Companies Influence Prescribing Behavior
THURSDAY, Oct. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of gifts from pharmaceutical companies is associated with more prescriptions per patient and more costly prescriptions, according to a study published online Oct. 25 in PLOS One.
Module Developed to Improve Adult Vaccination Rates
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A module has been developed to help health care professionals improve vaccination rates among adults, according to an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
DEA Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs on Oct. 28
TUESDAY, Oct. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The public is being given its 14th opportunity to safely dispose of pills and patches at collection points operated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and its partners.
Design Thinking Enables Med Students to Solve Challenges
MONDAY, Oct. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A joint effort between students at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is training future physicians in design thinking to help identify and repair health system issues that contribute to physician burnout, according to an article by the American Medical Association.
Pediatricians Should Provide Sexual Health Care Services
MONDAY, Oct. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Pediatricians should be prepared to educate adolescents and young adults regarding sexual development and to promote healthy behaviors in relationships, according to a clinical report published online Oct. 23 in Pediatrics.
Guidelines Updated for Infection Prevention in Pediatrics
MONDAY, Oct. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines have been updated for infection prevention and control in pediatric ambulatory settings, according to a policy statement published online Oct. 23 in Pediatrics.
Clinician Job Satisfaction Linked to Improved Burnout Scores
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Clinicians’ job satisfaction is associated with improved burnout scores and reduced intention to leave their practices, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs.
H7N9 Avian Influenza May Be Capable of Pandemic
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A highly pathogenic H7N9 avian influenza variant has evolved and now has the potential to cause a pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in Cell Host & Microbe.
For Hepatitis B Patients, Aspirin Tied to Lower Risk of HCC
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Aspirin therapy is associated with a reduced risk of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a study scheduled for presentation at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases from Oct. 20 to 24 in Washington, D.C.
High Percentage of HIV-Diagnosed Women Not in Care
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A high percentage of women receiving a new HIV diagnosis have already received this diagnosis in the past but are not undergoing HIV medical care, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Oncogenic Oral HPV DNA Detected in 3.5 Percent of Adults
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Men have a higher prevalence of oncogenic oral human papillomavirus (HPV) than women, and prevalence increases with the number of lifetime oral sexual partners and tobacco use, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the Annals of Oncology.
CDC Updates Zika Guidance for Infant Care
FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its interim guidance for U.S. health care providers caring for infants with possible congenital Zika virus infection, according to a report published online Oct. 19 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Conditions Tied to Clinician Dissatisfaction Are Modifiable
THURSDAY, Oct. 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Modifiable conditions, like chaos, incohesiveness, and lack of communication, contribute to unsatisfying workplaces for clinicians, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs.
Key Stakeholders Discuss How to Make EHRs More Usable
THURSDAY, Oct. 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Key stakeholders and physicians discussed electronic health record (EHR) usability and optimization in the American Medical Association Running Your Practice Community.
Oral Antibiotics Cut Risk of SSI in Colorectal CA Resection
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing left colon and rectal cancer resections, the addition of oral antibiotics to mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) is associated with a reduced rate of surgical site infections (SSIs), according to a study published online Oct. 18 in JAMA Surgery.
Sharing Passwords Is Widespread Among Medical Staff
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Sharing of passwords to access electronic medical records is common among medical staff members, according to a study published in the July issue of Healthcare Informatics Research.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Homosexual Men Cost-Effective
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Introduction of an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United Kingdom is likely to be cost-effective, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in the The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Men Now Comprise ~10 Percent of RN Workforce
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The increasing participation of men in registered nursing can be attributed to multiple factors, including increasing educational attainment, rising labor demand in health care, and liberalizing gender role attitudes, according to a working paper published by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.
Female Physicians May Be Especially at Risk of Burnout
TUESDAY, Oct. 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Female physicians are more burned out than their male colleagues, but there are steps they can take to reduce the stress associated with burnout, according to a blog post published in Medical Economics.
Prevalence of Oral HPV Infection Higher for U.S. Men
TUESDAY, Oct. 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and high-risk oral HPV infection are more common among men than women, according to a study published online Oct. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Most Female Physicians Have Faced Sexist Patient Comments
MONDAY, Oct. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Most female physicians have been sexually harassed by patients at some point in their careers, according to a blog post published in Medical Economics.
Online Ratings Not Aligned With Objective Quality Measures
MONDAY, Oct. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Online consumer ratings of specialist physicians do not predict objective measures of quality of care or peer assessment of clinical performance, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Worse HIV Care Outcomes for Hispanics, Latinos
MONDAY, Oct. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — HIV care outcomes are worse for Hispanics and Latinos, especially for injection drug users, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Model Predicts Cost-Effectiveness for Anal Lesion Treatment
MONDAY, Oct. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cost-effective management of precancerous anal intraepithelial lesions in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) varies by age, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in Cancer.
Serious Suffering Affects Almost Half of Those Who Die Yearly
FRIDAY, Oct. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In 2015, more than 25.5 million people who died worldwide experienced serious health-related suffering (SHS), and the vast majority lacked access to palliative care and pain relief, according to a report published online Oct. 12 in The Lancet.
Quality Issues for Both Paper-, Electronic-Based Health Records
FRIDAY, Oct. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Both paper-based and electronic health records (EHRs) have shortcomings in terms of quality of content, process, and structure, with poor quality of nursing documentation seen for both methods, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Court Considering Fate of Noneconomic Damages Cap
THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court is considering whether it will hear a case that will determine the fate of the state’s $750,000 cap on noneconomic damages, according to an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
New System Streamlines CME Credit Approval Process
THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) have launched a new performance improvement activity credit reporting process called the AAFP Credit System, according to an article published by the AAFP.
High Sustained Response Rate for Glecaprevir, Pibrentasvir in HCV
THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, 12 weeks of treatment with glecaprevir and pibrentasvir results in a high rate of sustained virologic response, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Vaccines Elicit Lasting Immune Response Against Ebola
THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Two vaccines to prevent Ebola virus disease (EVD) demonstrated immune responses at one month that were largely maintained through 12 months, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Low-Cost Services a Major Player in Unnecessary Health Spending
THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The costs associated with low-cost, low-value health services are nearly twice as high as those of high-cost, low-value services, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs.
Physician Salaries Appear to Be Flat or Declining
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Anecdotally, physician career coaches report that physician salaries are flat at best, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Medical License Questions Sway Doctors’ Mental Health Help
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Medical licensure application questions (MLAQs) regarding mental health contribute to physicians’ reluctance to seek help for mental health, according to a study published in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
HPV Vaccination After Lesion Treatment Is Likely Cost-Effective
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM), adjuvant quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination (qHPV) after treatment of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) is likely to be cost-effective, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in Vaccine.
Statins Tied to Lower Community-Acquired Staph Infection Risk
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Statin use is associated with a decreased risk of community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (CA-SAB), particularly in long-term users, according to a study published in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Interventions Have No Long-Term Effect on Inappropriate Rx
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) increases in the 12 months after removing behavioral interventions compared with control practices, according to a research letter published online Oct. 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Guide Offers Doctors Tips for Choosing a Health System
TUESDAY, Oct. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A guide has been developed to assist physicians considering joining a physician-led integrated health system, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Higher Levels of Fungus ID’d in Patients With Crohn’s
TUESDAY, Oct. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Higher levels of Candida tropicalis, as well as Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens, are seen in patients with Crohn’s disease, indicating a role for the mycobiome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study published online Oct. 4 in Digestive and Liver Disease.
Novel Metrics Suggested for Assessing EHR Use
TUESDAY, Oct. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Novel metrics have been developed to assess electronic health record (EHR) use and are described in an opinion article published online Oct. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Antibiotic Use Not Linked to Islet, Celiac Disease Autoimmunity
MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Use of antibiotics in early life is not associated with islet or celiac disease (CD) autoimmunity in children at risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D) or CD, according to a study published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Pediatrics.
2016 Physician Quality Reporting System Reports Available
MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The 2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and the 2016 annual Quality and Resource Use reports have been released for individuals and group practices, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Injured Patients Want More Info on Safety Improvement Efforts
MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Communication-and-resolution program (CRP) experiences are positive overall for a small majority of patients and families, but they report that hospitals rarely share information about preventing recurrences, according to a study published online Oct. 9 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Sizable Number of HIV-Infected Children Not Receiving Care
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A substantial proportion of children with diagnosed HIV infection might not be receiving the recommended frequency of medical care, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Human Adenovirus Surveillance Data IDs Type Patterns
MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Human adenovirus (HAdV) surveillance data can be used to determine patterns of circulation for individual HAdV types in the United States and to help with the recognition of outbreaks, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Rate of Adverse Effects for Dapagliflozin Similar to Placebo
MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The overall incidence of adverse effects (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs) is similar in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking dapagliflozin or placebo, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
First Test to Detect Zika in Blood Donations Approved
FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The cobas Zika test has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — the first approved screening test to detect the Zika virus in blood donations.
Michigan Woman Gets Jail Time for Refusing to Vaccinate Son
FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A Michigan woman who defied a court order and refused to have her son vaccinated has received a prison sentence.
Short-Lived Benefits for Abusive Supervisory Behavior
FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Engaging in abusive supervisory behavior may be associated with short-term beneficial effects, but over longer periods of time, abusive supervisory behavior is negatively related to supervisors’ recovery level and engagement, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in the Academy of Management Journal.
No Change in Flu Shot Rates for Children From ’15-16 to ’16-17
FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Children who received an injectable influenza vaccine (IIV) in 2015-2016 were only slightly more likely than those receiving live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) to return the following season for an IIV, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in Pediatrics.
Stronger Nocebo Effect When Inert Rx Labeled As Expensive
FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Nocebo hyperalgesia is stronger when an inert treatment is labeled as being an expensive medication rather than a cheap one, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in Science.
21 Percent of Americans Report Experiencing a Medical Error
THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — More than one in five patients report having experienced a medical error, according to a survey released Sept. 28 by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)/National Patient Safety Foundation Lucian Leape Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago.
Reasons Physicians Are Delaying Retirement Vary
THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians are delaying retirement, often because they feel they are providing a useful service to patients or because of concerns about social interaction in retirement, according to an article published online Sept. 25 in Medical Economics.
Delivery Characteristics Predict Early-Onset Sepsis Risk
THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Delivery characteristics of extremely preterm infants can be used to identify those with significantly lower incidence of early-onset sepsis (EOS), according to a study published online Oct. 5 in Pediatrics.
Pay Inequality, Work-Life Balance Top Concerns for Female Docs
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Many female physicians report feeling disadvantaged when negotiating contracts and feel that they are assessed for promotion using different criteria than those used for men, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Scientists Support Genome Editing to Prevent Disease
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Many basic scientists and clinical researchers support somatic genome editing in adults for prevention of serious disease but not for human enhancement; they also believe the public should be consulted before any clinical application of germline gene editing proceeds, according to survey results published online Oct. 3 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.
More U.S. Measles Cases From No Vaccine vs. Imported Disease
TUESDAY, Oct. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — While measles incidence is extremely low in the United States, most cases that do occur happen in unvaccinated patients, according to a research letter published online Oct. 3 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Communication Program Doesn’t Raise Hospital Liability Costs
TUESDAY, Oct. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A communication-and-resolution program, in which hospitals and liability insurers communicate with patients when adverse events occur, does not lead to higher liability costs, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in Health Affairs.
Vancomycin + Piperacillin/ Tazobactam Ups Kidney Risk
MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For hospitalized children, coadministration of intravenous (IV) vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam is associated with increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI), according to a study published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Pediatrics.
High Coffee Intake Tied to Lower Mortality in HIV/HCV
MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Drinking three or more cups of coffee per day halves all-cause mortality risk in patients co-infected with HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to a study published online Sept. 21 in the Journal of Hepatology.
State Laws Can Promote Hepatitis C Virus Screening
MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Mandating health care providers to offer hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening can increase screening rates and linkage to care among those with newly diagnosed infection, according to research published in the Sept. 29 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Tdap Given in Pregnancy Protects Infants From Pertussis
MONDAY, Oct. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy is effective for preventing pertussis in infants in the first months of life, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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