Reassuring Findings on Bivalent COVID Booster in Hemodialysis Patients
Anti-spike IgG concentrations against BA.4/5 significantly increased in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) following a bivalent booster, particularly in those without a prior Omicron infection, a case series from Germany found. The study looked at 55 ESRD patients on hemodialysis who had received four prior doses of a monovalent vaccine, including about a third […]
Higher Rates of Staph Infection for Hispanics on Dialysis, CDC Says
Hispanic dialysis patients have significantly higher rates of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections compared with white dialysis patients, according to a CDC study. In 2020, rates of S. aureus bloodstream infections in hemodialysis patients were 40% higher among Hispanic patients versus non-Hispanic whites (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7, P<0.001), reported Shannon Novosad, MD, […]
Adding Targeted Drug to Chemo Boosts Survival in Esophageal/GEJ Cancer
SAN FRANCISCO — Adding a Claudin (CLDN) inhibitor to chemotherapy significantly increased progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in locally advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer and CLDN 18.2 expression, a randomized trial showed. Median PFS increased from 8.67 months with modified FOLFOX chemotherapy to 10.61 months with the addition of investigational zolbetuximab. Median OS improved […]
Nursing Exam Pass Rates Dropped in Recent Years. Why?
The share of candidates who pass the licensure exam to work as a registered nurse has significantly dropped in recent years, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) — the regulator tasked with overseeing the exams — has no plans to make it any easier. Most leading nurse academics say that’s a […]
Type 2 Diabetes Cases Rising in Young Adults Globally
The global burden of type 2 diabetes among young people significantly rose since 1990, researchers reported. Drawing on data from 204 countries and territories, the age-standardized incidence of type 2 diabetes from 1990 to 2019 increased from 117.22 to 183.36 per 100,000, Fan Wang, PhD, of Harbin Medical University in China, and colleagues said in […]
Snacking on almonds boosts gut health, study finds
Eating a handful of almonds a day significantly increases the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that promotes gut health. A team of researchers from King’s College London investigated the impact of whole and ground almonds on the composition of gut microbes. The study, published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is […]
‘Potential New Standard’ for Progressing Desmoid Tumors
PARIS — Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly prolonged in patients with progressing desmoid tumors treated with an investigational gamma secretase inhibitor in a phase III trial. In the international DeFi study of more than 140 patients, risk for disease progression or death was reduced by 71% in the group randomized to nirogacestat, with a median […]
Rezvilutamide Bests Bicalutamide in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
In combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the novel androgen-receptor inhibitor rezvilutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with bicalutamide (Casodex) in patients with high-volume, metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, the phase III CHART trial showed. Among 654 mostly Asian patients, median radiographic PFS was not reached in the rezvilutamide group […]
Keytruda Plus T-VEC Falls Short in Unresectable Melanoma
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus intratumoral talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC, Imlygic) did not significantly improve survival in unresectable melanoma as compared with pembrolizumab alone, an international phase III trial showed. Although the combination improved median progression-free survival (PFS) by almost 6 months (14.3 vs 8.5 months), the difference did not achieve statistical significance (P=0.13). Median overall survival (OS) […]
Battery-Related ED Visits in Kids ‘Remain Too Frequent,’ Study Suggests
Rates of pediatric battery-related emergency department (ED) visits increased significantly from 2010 to 2017, with children ages 5 and younger making up the majority of cases, an observational study showed. Among a nationally representative sample, an estimated 70,322 (95% CI 51,275-89,369) battery-related ED visits occurred during the study period (9.5 visits per 100,000 children annually), […]