Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Kawasaki Disease; Soft-Tissue Sarcoma; Antibiotic Overuse
CIDRAP: Kawasaki Disease Drop During Pandemic Leaves Hints At Possible Triggers
Rates of Kawasaki disease, a rare acquired cardiac condition in kids, fell nationally during peak COVID-19 transmission when control measures were in place, potentially providing a clue that multiple triggers and upper airway inhalation might be involved. Researchers based at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) published the findings of their disease tracking study late last week in JAMA Network Open. (6/20)
ScienceDaily: How Tumors Make Immune Cells 'Go Bad'
Investigators have discovered that cancerous tumors called soft-tissue sarcomas produce a protein that switches immune cells from tumor-attacking to tumor-promoting. The study could lead to improved treatments for soft-tissue sarcomas. (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 6/21)
CIDRAP: Study Notes Antibiotic Overuse For Respiratory Infections In Primary Care
A study conducted in a large healthcare system in the Upper Midwest found that unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory infections (URIs) was common among all primary care providers, but worse among older, rural clinicians and those in high-volume specialties, researchers reported today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. (6/17)
CIDRAP: Study: Sporicidal Disinfectant, Thorough Cleaning Cuts Hospital-Onset C Diff
A sporicidal cleaning intervention implemented at eight acute care hospitals resulted in more thorough cleaning of hospital rooms and was associated with a reduction in hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile (HO-CDI) infections, researcher reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. (6/20)
CIDRAP: US Fungal Deaths Rose In The First 2 Years Of The COVID-19 Pandemic
US deaths from fungal infections rose in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous years, with the increase driven mainly by COVID-19–associated fungal deaths, researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (6/20)
