Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Physician Stress, Covid, Flu Vaccine, Dementia And More
CIDRAP: Study: 1 In 5 Physicians Highly Distressed During First COVID-19 Triages
A survey of 164 New York physicians found that one in five were severely distressed during their first COVID-19 triage decisions and last-minute training did not appear to alleviate stress, according to a study yesterday in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. The researchers sent out the online survey Apr 29 to May 1, 2020; on Mar 23, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo had ordered hospitals to increase capacity by 50% because of the expected patient surge. All respondents were involved in the treatment of at least one COVID patient, and most were also men (59.9%) or working in their usual clinical setting/activity (82.2%). (6/8)
American Academy Of Pediatrics: Inpatient Use And Outcomes At Children’s Hospitals During The Early COVID-19 Pandemic
US children’s hospitals observed substantial reductions in inpatient admissions with largely unchanged hospital-level outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the impact on use varied by condition, the most notable declines were related to inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. (Markham et al, 6/1)
CIDRAP: No Health Issues In Babies Whose Moms Got Flu Vaccine While Pregnant
Infants who were exposed to the flu vaccine in utero—meaning their mothers received the vaccine while pregnant—did not have an increased likelihood of adverse outcomes, according to a study today in JAMA. The study looked at more than 99% of live births during the 2010-11 to 2013-14 flu seasons in Nova Scotia, Canada. (McLernon, 6/8)
American Academy Of Pediatrics: Longitudinal Associations Between Screen Use And Reading In Preschool-Aged Children
A reciprocal relationship between screen use and reading was identified. Early screen use was associated with lower reading activities, resulting in greater screen use at later ages. Findings emphasize the need for practitioners and educators to discuss screen use guidelines and encourage families to engage in device-free activities to foster early literacy exposure. (McArthur et al, 6/1)
ScienceDaily/Nature Aging: Proteins That Predict Future Dementia, Alzheimer's Risk, Identified
The development of dementia, often from Alzheimer's disease, late in life is associated with abnormal blood levels of dozens of proteins up to five years earlier, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Most of these proteins were not known to be linked to dementia before, suggesting new targets for prevention therapies. (5/17)
CIDRAP: CARB-X To Fund Development Of Rapid Diagnostic Test For Sepsis
CARB-X announced today that is awarding Tucson, Arizona–based Accelerate Diagnostics $578,000 to develop a diagnostic test for sepsis based on new fiber optic technology. The award will help the company develop a compact instrument that uses Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy to identify bacteria from positive blood culture with minimal sample processing within 15 minutes. The technology, which is currently in the feasibility phase of development, has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity and the ability to identify a wide range of bacterial pathogens. (6/8)
