11 Things We Actually Want To Keep From 2021
If you had told us on New Year’s Eve 2019 that two years from now we’d still be dealing with a devastating and ongoing pandemic, we probably wouldn’t have taken too kindly to the news. Alas, as we close out year two of the global coronavirus crisis, the reality is now painfully clear. The “new […]
Sex Disparity Mars Rollout of Embattled HIV Treatment in Poorer Countries
In low- and middle-income countries, dolutegravir (Tivicay) uptake in women still trailed that in men months after a safety reaffirmation from the World Health Organization (WHO), a large study showed. By March 2020, cumulative incidence of uptake of the antiretroviral by women ages 16-49 was 29.4% across 11 countries, compared with 57.7% in men of […]
Vaccinated Blood Cancer Patients Still at Risk for Severe COVID-19
Patients with hematologic malignancies who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections still had high risk for severe or critical disease, according to a registry-based study. Out of 113 reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection post-vaccination in people with blood cancers, 79 (60.4%) experienced severe or critical disease, with 75 requiring hospitalization, reported Livio Pagano, MD, of the Università […]
When blood pressure needs more control, what’s better: An additional drug or more of the same? Study in veterans shows importance of personalizing the approach to intensifying treatment in sustainable ways
Nearly 34 million Americans have blood pressure that’s still too high even though they take medicine to control it. A new study may help them and their doctors decide whether to increase the dose of one of their existing drugs, or add a new one, to bring down their pressure and lower their risk of […]
Your Thrilling Case May Be Your Patient’s Worst Nightmare
It’s been over 25 years, but I still remember my first clinical rotation as a third-year medical student: ob/gyn. It was so refreshing to finally take care of patients, to be in a hospital, and to see the things we learned in the classroom translated into clinical care. I’ll never forget a case from that […]
‘Staring Down the Barrel of This Gun’: What We Heard This Week
“We’re still staring down the barrel of this gun because its hypertransmissibility is causing more pediatric infections than earlier versions did.” — David Kimberlin, MD, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases, offering his take on how the Delta variant altered the course of the pandemic. “Mandatory models are like […]
When Is ADT Right for Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer?
Men with prostate cancer and biochemical recurrence (BCR) who delayed androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) still experienced long survival outcomes, researchers reported. In a retrospective study, men with a prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) of less than 10 months saw a median metastases-free survival (MFS) of 192 months when they delayed ADT until metastasis, and a […]
HHS’s Climate Change Office: Not Open Yet, but Getting Positive Reviews
WASHINGTON — Mum’s still the word when it comes to the new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at HHS, but advocates on the subject seem happy with what they’ve seen so far. The office’s creation was mandated by President Biden in a January 27 executive order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home […]
Senate Committee Shines Spotlight on VA’s Troubled EHR Program
WASHINGTON — The new electronic health record (EHR) system in the veterans healthcare system still leaves a lot to be desired, witnesses said at a Senate hearing. The VA signed a $10 million contract for a new EHR system with Cerner Millennium in May 2018. This system was supposed to modernize the VA’s EHR and […]
Doctors Go Unpaid for a Month of Work
About 10 emergency physicians still haven’t been paid for the shifts they worked in April at two hospitals in New Hampshire, staffing firm owners told MedPage Today. They’re owed nearly $140,000 for hours worked at Lakes Region General Hospital and Franklin Regional Hospital — part of the former LRGHealthcare, which went bankrupt and was bought […]