Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Covid; End-Of-Life Care; Endometriosis; Pneumonia; More
CIDRAP: Study: Nearly All Severely Allergic People Tolerate COVID Vaccines
While healthcare workers at a Boston healthcare system with severe allergies reported more reactions after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, nearly all were able to safely complete the series, according to an observational study yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 10/27)
CIDRAP: COVID-Mitigating Behavior Didn't Change After Vaccination, Study Says
COVID-mitigating behavior such as physical distancing and mask use didn't change after receipt of vaccination prior to government exemptions, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. The researchers looked at the self-reported behaviors of 80,305 people who were fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or not vaccinated at all from Feb 23 to Jun 1. Respondents were from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, of whom 51.8% were women. The mean age was 47.8 years. (10/27)
CIDRAP: Risk Factors Linked To Severe Pediatric COVID-19
Two recent studies in Pediatrics look at risk factors for severe pediatric COVID-19 and COVID deaths in those younger than 21 years of age. ... The younger group had increased risk associated with chronic lung disease (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 2.2.), neurologic disorders (aRR, 2.0), cardiovascular disease (aRR, 1.7), prematurity (aRR, 1.6), and airway abnormality (aRR, 1.6), while severe COVID-19 was linked to feeding tube dependence (aRR, 2.0), diabetes (aRR, 1.9), and obesity (aRR, 1.2) in the older group. (10/22)
CIDRAP: Non-COVID Research Projects May Be Affected Most During Pandemic
Researchers who did not conduct COVID-related projects initiated 36% fewer new projects in 2020 versus 2019, according to a commentary published in Nature Communications today. The reductions were seen across all fields, particularly affecting women and those taking care of children. The study was a follow-up to an April 2020 study that surveyed about 4,500 random US and European scientists and found that scientists who relied on laboratories and equipment had a greater reduction in research hours compared with those who didn't as much. In addition, researchers with children 5 years or younger also saw a 17% decline in research hours. (10/26)
Also —
American Academy Of Pediatrics: Educational Priorities For Providing End-Of-Life Care: Parent Perspectives
We asked parents to be partners in guiding priorities for health care education and professional development to improve pediatric EOL care. In addition to strengthening skills in communication, confidence in the team, and compassion, parents in this study identified a need for hospital staff to anticipate financial and social stressors and provide supportive resources more readily. Additionally, parents described clinical and nonclinical staff as providing support, suggesting that a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary curriculum be developed to improve pediatric EOL care. (Arora et al, 10/21)
ScienceDaily: Undiagnosed Endometriosis Compromises Fertility Treatment
Women with undiagnosed endometriosis will have difficulty falling pregnant without IVF, according to a new study. (University of Queensland, 10/5)
ScienceDaily: Chronic Pain Treatment Should Include Psychological Interventions
New research examines psychological interventions for the treatment of chronic pain, including the gap between the evidence of the effectiveness of several psychological interventions and their availability and use in treatment. (Association for Psychological Science, 10/5)
New England Journal of Medicine: Trial Of Intensive Blood-Pressure Control In Older Patients With Hypertension
In older patients with hypertension, intensive treatment with a systolic blood-pressure target of 110 to less than 130 mm Hg resulted in a lower incidence of cardiovascular events than standard treatment with a target of 130 to less than 150 mm Hg. (Zhang et al, 10/1)
CIDRAP: Urinary Antigen Testing May Help Target Antibiotics For Pneumonia
Positive pneumococcal urinary antigen testing (PUAT) results among patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was associated with earlier time to de-escalation of antibiotics, according to a single-center study published last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. In the retrospective study, conducted at New York University Langone Health, researchers analyzed hospitalized CAP patients who had PUAT performed in 2019, comparing antibiotic de-escalation and outcomes in those who tested positive and negative. PUAT is a rapid, non-invasive assay that can aid in the diagnosis of CAP caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. It has also been viewed as a potential antibiotic stewardship tool that might improve time to targeted, narrow-spectrum antibiotics and reduce use of broad-spectrum agents. (10/26)
