Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Links Some Sepsis-Treating Antibiotics With Higher Risk Of Death
CIDRAP: Study Finds Increased Risk Of Death In Sepsis Patients Treated With Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic
A new study, ... led by researchers with the University of Michigan Medical School and the Veteran Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Healthcare System, found that, in patients with suspected sepsis and no clear indication for anti-anaerobic antibiotics, the combination of piperacillin-tazobactam and vancomycin was associated with a 5% absolute mortality increase at 90 days compared with cefepime and vancomycin. (Dall, 5/14)
CIDRAP: Study Highlights Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing In US Emergency Departments
A review of US emergency department (ED) visits involving antibiotic prescribing found that more than a quarter had inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, and nearly half of those didn't even have a plausible indication for antibiotics, US researchers reported today in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. (Dall, 5/14)
In covid news —
CIDRAP: TB-COVID Co-Infections Increasingly Common, Tied To Worse Outcomes, Data Show
A new meta-analysis of 17 studies reveals that tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 co-infection are becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, with death rates gradually declining but remaining higher than COVID-19 infection alone. The study was published yesterday in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. (Soucheray, 5/14)
CIDRAP: COVID Patient Testing, Isolation Of Sick Staff Cut In-Hospital Viral Spread, Modeling Study Suggests
Interventions such as testing patients for COVID-19 on admission, isolation of ill healthcare workers (HCWs), and universal HCW masking from March 2020 to July 2022 significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission among patients and staff in UK hospitals, suggests a simulation study led by UK Health Security Agency researchers in London. The findings were published last week in BMC Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 5/14)
On weight-loss drugs —
Stat: Novo Nordisk Testing Wegovy Against Alcohol-Related Liver Disease
Novo Nordisk will test whether its GLP-1 drugs can help people with alcohol-associated liver disease, and, as part of that, will study if the treatments will change the amount of alcohol people drink. (Cueto and Chen, 5/14)
Politico: Novo’s Weight-Loss Drug Could Be Taken For Life, Expert Says
Long-term use of a popular obesity drug significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke while sustaining weight loss over time, a study has shown, raising the prospect of lifetime treatment with the drug. Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk presented data on the effects of semaglutide — sold under the brand names Wegovy for obesity and Ozempic for diabetes — over a four-year period, at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, on Tuesday. (Ciappa, 5/14)
Also —
Newsweek: Autism Diagnoses May Be Improved 'Substantially' By New Study
A simple set of eye-tracking exercises may offer an effective solution for autism diagnosis in young children that can also assess the scale of the condition, new research has found. The findings promise to help overcome delays and disparities in diagnoses to allow for early interventions and ultimately reduce lifetime care costs. Autism spectrum disorders are ... affecting roughly one in 36 U.S. children by the age of 8 years old, according to a 2020 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Dewan, 5/14)
Newsweek: New Herpes Study Reveals 'Significant' Information
Scientists have figured out how the dreaded herpes virus breaks into our cells.Herpes simplex virus type 1—the major cause of oral herpes—enters the nerve cells by taking over cellular transport processes, according to a new paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This discovery may help researchers develop new and more effective treatments for this sneaky and surprisingly common virus. (Thomson, 5/14)
Stat: Abbott's New Stent May Help Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease
An Abbott device that failed in heart disease patients is getting a new life in patients with severe vascular disease. The device is a below-knee stent that widens clogged blood vessels, and then vanishes into the vessel’s walls over the course of three years. It also delivers a drug that prevents scar tissue from forming — a common risk factor with traditional metal stents that further narrow the vessel. (Lawrence, 5/15)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: New Device Could Identify Which Babies Will Struggle With Breastfeeding
Doctors traditionally use a finger to gauge how well a baby suckles, but researchers at UC San Diego have come up with a new way to more precisely measure just how well each child gets the job done. (Sisson, 5/14)
AP: Will AI Replace Doctors Who Read X-Rays, Or Just Make Them Better Than Ever?
How good would an algorithm have to be to take over your job? It’s a new question for many workers amid the rise of ChatGPT and other AI programs that can hold conversations, write stories and even generate songs and images within seconds. For doctors who review scans to spot cancer and other diseases, however, AI has loomed for about a decade as more algorithms promise to improve accuracy, speed up work and, in some cases, take over entire parts of the job. (Perrone, 5/14)
Axios: Studies On Ecstasy For PTSD Called Into Question
Clinical trials using the drug known as ecstasy to treat PTSD may have been tainted by investigator biases and understated possible harmful effects, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review said in a report on Tuesday. (Bettelheim, 5/15)
