Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Iron Deficiency And Depression; Infection Control; Covid
The Journal Of Nutrition: Iron Deficiency Is Related To Depressive Symptoms In US Non-Pregnant Women Of Reproductive Age
Non-pregnant women of reproductive age with iron deficiency in the US have higher prevalence of somatic depressive symptoms scores than those with iron sufficiency, especially if they are of low income. (Ciulei, 9/30)
On infection control —
New England Journal of Medicine: Decolonization In Nursing Homes To Prevent Infection And Hospitalization
Nursing home residents are at high risk for infection, hospitalization, and colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms. ... In nursing homes, universal decolonization with chlorhexidine and nasal iodophor led to a significantly lower risk of transfer to a hospital due to infection than routine care. (Miller et al, 10/10)
CIDRAP: Enhanced IPC Measures At Cancer Center Linked To Reduced Infections During COVID
Robust infection prevention and control (IPC) measures at a comprehensive cancer center during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with significant decreases in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), researchers reported today in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Dall, 10/5)
CIDRAP: Study Links Opioid Exposure To Colonization With Drug-Resistant Bacteria
A study conducted at two Rhode Island hospitals found that exposure to opioids was associated with a nearly four-fold risk in vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) colonization, researchers reported this week in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Dall, 10/11)
More on the covid-19 pandemic —
CIDRAP: Codagenix Announces Promising Findings For Intranasal COVID Vaccine
Against the backdrop of a global push for new COVID vaccines that can provide broader and longer lasting protection, Codagenix today announced that its live-attenuated intranasal vaccine candidate prompted robust humoral and cellular immunity in adults who took part in a phase 1 clinical trial. (Schnirring, 10/11)
CIDRAP: Study: Prenatal Telehealth Visits Did Not Take Off During Pandemic
During the first months of the pandemic, many healthcare providers pivoted to telehealth appointments as way to limit potential exposure to COVID-19, including obstetricians and gynecologists caring for pregnant patients. But a new study in JAMA Network Open shows most patients chose in-person visits from June to December 2020 out of personal preference, despite the availability of telehealth. (Soucheray, 10/10)
CIDRAP: Pandemic Procedures Slowing Heart Attack Responses
A new study presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Quality Summit 2023 this week shows door-to-balloon (D2B) procedure time during acute heart attacks has suffered since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, partly because of the need for COVID-19 screening, associated isolation procedures, and terminal cleaning in the cardiac catheterization lab. The study is based on heart attack patients seen at Ocean University Medical Center in New Jersey from 2018 through 2022. (Soucheray, 10/4)
CIDRAP: RSV Hospitalizations Have Worse Clinical Outcomes For Older Americans Than Flu, COVID
Though hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are less common than those for flu or COVID-19, they are more severe and more likely to occur in adults ages 75 and older, according to new data published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study looked at adult hospitalization for RSV in the United States from February 2022 to May 2023. A total of 5,784 adults aged 60 years or older hospitalized with acute respiratory illness and laboratory-confirmed RSV, SARS-CoV-2, or influenza infection were prospectively enrolled in the study conducted at 25 US hospitals. (Soucheray, 10/5)
