5 Signs You Should Get A Colonoscopy Before You Turn 45
SDI Productions via Getty Images The recommended age to begin colonoscopy screening is 45, but some people should start sooner. It’s been frequently reported that colorectal cancer rates are increasing in young people in the United States. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, cases of colorectal cancer in people 55 and under have […]
Opinion | ‘It’s Much More Severe, and It’s Much More Dangerous’: What We Heard This Week
“It’s not just some little fever or some little rash. It’s much more severe, and it’s much more dangerous.” — Sarah Lim, MD, of the Minnesota Department of Health, on why physicians and parents should be concerned about the recent rise in measles cases. “It’s a really interesting time. There’s so much activity.” — Hao […]
Trump-Obama Doc’s Bad Behavior; Alzheimer’s Drug Delayed; Death After Testicle Kick
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. The Navy demoted Ronny Jackson, MD (R-Texas), after reports of inappropriate behavior during his time as White House physician; the congressman is now a retired captain, not an admiral. (Washington Post) Following a cyberattack, Change Healthcare reopened its electronic prescribing and expects functionality of its payment […]
Opinion | ‘You Can Create Some Scary Sounding Headlines’: What We Heard This Week
“If you only report on the nurses leaving, and don’t account for those who are coming in, you can create some scary sounding headlines.” — David Auerbach, PhD, of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, on the rebound of the registered nurse workforce following a pandemic slump. “It’s still the reality to the patient, and to […]
King Charles III’s Surgery; COVID Timeline Doubted; FDA Approvals Hit High
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Britain’s King Charles III is scheduled for surgery for an enlarged prostate, and Buckingham Palace stressed that it is a benign condition. (BBC News) FDA announced that Emergent BioSolutions, the manufacturer of naloxone (Narcan), will extend the 4 mg nasal spray’s shelf life from 3 to […]
Morphine Quieted Cough in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
A brief course of morphine provided some relief for patients with cough related to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a small, phase II double-blind crossover trial. Two weeks of low-dose controlled-release morphine reduced objective awake cough frequency by 39.4% over a placebo treatment phase (95% CI -54.4 to -9.4), reported Philip Molyneaux, PhD, of Imperial […]
Surgeon Dies in Plane Crash; Austin Released From Hospital; Animal Pandemic Spreads
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. A Texas surgeon and his two children died in a plane crash over the weekend, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. (New York Post) Federal scientists supported removing marijuana from Schedule I, the most restrictive drug category, according to newly released HHS documents. (New York Times) […]
Can Childhood Trauma Prime Brain Dynamics for Nicotine Dependence?
Childhood trauma-related emotion dysregulation may partly explain why some long-term smokers are unable to give up nicotine, a cross-sectional study suggested. Using 16-minute resting-state functional MRI to show the dynamic patterns of functional coordination among brain systems, researchers found that nicotine smokers spent approximately 25.63 more seconds in the frontoinsular default mode network (FI-DMN) state […]
Trump-Era Conscience Rule Rescinded; Lloyd Austin’s Cancer; Sinead O’Connor’s Death
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. HHS issued a final nondiscrimination rule that partly rescinds a sweeping 2019 Trump-era “conscience” rule, clarifying the process for enforcing federal conscience laws in healthcare and strengthening protections against conscience and religious discrimination. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra appeared to be making inroads with President Biden’s closest […]
Dining Out? Check the Bill for a ‘Health Insurance’ Surcharge
A restaurant in Atlanta took some heat on social media for adding a 4% health insurance surcharge to customers’ bills, but it wasn’t the first and likely won’t be the last. Restaurant owner Emily Chan told CNN that the fee covered almost all health insurance costs for employees. “We feel like there’s a pretty huge […]