Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Pulse Oximeters Can Give Inaccurate Results For Black People
NPR: Pulse Oximeters Can Give False Readings In COVID-19 Patients With Dark Skin
The common fingertip devices that measures oxygen in the blood can sometimes give misleading readings in people with dark skin, according to a report Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. These devices, called pulse oximeters, are increasingly finding their way into people's homes, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, this is not just a concern for medical personnel using professional-grade devices. (Harris, 12/16)
The Hill: Study: Blood Oxygen Detection Device Gives Black People Inaccurate Readings More Often
A medical device that measures oxygen blood levels is more likely to give misleading or inaccurate results to Black patients, according to research published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers analyzed data from thousands of adult patients who received supplemental oxygen at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, comparing the data to that of 37,000 patients at about 200 other hospitals’ intensive care units. (Budryk, 12/17)
In other science and research news —
The Wall Street Journal: DEA Widens Path For Medical Marijuana Research
The U.S. government is expanding the number of businesses that can grow marijuana for federally approved study after years of delay under the Trump administration. A Drug Enforcement Administration rule made public Thursday means researchers will be able to study marijuana from more than just one federally sanctioned grower, a farm at the University of Mississippi, which the government has for decades considered the only legal source of marijuana for federal research. (Gurman, 12/17)
CIDRAP: CDC Updates Treatment Guidelines For Uncomplicated Gonorrhea
Citing rising resistance to azithromycin and the importance of antibiotic stewardship, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is removing azithromycin from its recommended treatment regimen for uncomplicated gonorrhea. Under new guidelines published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC is now recommending a single 500-milligram (mg) intramuscular shot of ceftriaxone for uncomplicated urogenital, anorectal, and pharyngeal gonorrhea. The previous guidelines recommended an intramuscular shot of 250 mg of ceftriaxone and an oral dose of azithromycin for uncomplicated infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. (12/17)
Stat: Scientists See A Possible Way To Prevent A Devastating Disease
The tiny mouse embryos were off to a promising start, many of them progressing from a one-cell fertilized egg to two-, four-, and even eight-cell blobs resembling raspberries-to-be. As the eager scientists carefully tracked their development (in lab dishes), many of the embryos formed characteristic structures called pronuclei that housed the DNA of egg and sperm, following the normal developmental script. (Begley, 12/16)
