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Black patients were more than twice as likely to have their patient behavior and history characterized in negative terms compared to white patients, data from electronic health records (EHRs) revealed. This higher likelihood of having a negative descriptor in their EHRs — with terms such as “resistant,” “noncompliant,” or “agitated” — showed up even after

The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the United States has fallen only by a very small and insignificant amount in the past decade, new data show, suggesting that the decline in CHD seen in previous years is now slowing. “We observed small and insignificant declines in CHD prevalence from 2011 to 2018, which

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) — the standard of care for treating venous thrombosis in noncancer patients — should also be the go-to for treating cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), except in patients with a high risk of bleeding, a new analysis suggests. “Our meta-analysis finds that cancer patients who experience acute venous thrombosis events (VTEs) and [who]

The heart has played a central role in COVID-19 since the beginning. Cardiovascular conditions are among the highest risk factors for hospitalization. A significant number of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infections have signs of heart damage, and many recover from infection with lasting cardiovascular injury.   It’s not surprising that debates over COVID-19 vaccines frequently

Rapid antigen testing using a nasal swab with the BinaxNOW test was able to detect the Omicron variant at an urban community testing site, whereas other swabbing routes did not perform as well, researchers found. Sensitivity of the BinaxNOW assay for detecting PCR-positive cases within a cycle threshold (Ct) of <30, indicating a higher viral

As a fourth-year medical student at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Danielle Rivera used a motorized scooter when on hospital grounds instead of having to be on her feet for hours. She has several conditions that developed after getting mononucleosis more than 5 years ago — similar to the effects of long

The study covered in this summary was published at researchsquare.com as a preprint and has not yet been peer-reviewed. Key Takeaways A retrospective chart review linked family member participation in the education process at hospital discharge to longer times until patients’ next heart failure (HF)-related event. HF-related events, the composite primary outcome of the study,

Following the emergence of the Delta variant, individuals who had a prior COVID-19 infection with or without vaccination had lower case rates than those who were vaccinated alone, data from California and New York found. “Infection-derived protection was higher after the Delta variant became predominant, a time when vaccine-induced immunity for many persons declined because

Using patient-specific 3D or virtual reality (VR) models for preoperative assessment could help anesthesiologists better plan for procedures involving patients with suspected difficult airways, according to an abstract presented at the Euroanaesthesia 2021 meeting in Munich, Germany. “With a specific plan in place, there is less trial and error, wastage of equipment and trauma to

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. The study covered in this summary was published in medRxiv.org as a preprint and has not yet been peer-reviewed. Key Takeaways Medication prescribing and dispensing in the United Kingdom were hampered during the COVID-19 pandemic and have not recovered to prepandemic

An estimated 132 million COVID vaccines were given to people in Britain in 2021. Yet despite this, over a year into the UK’s vaccination program, a significant number of people still don’t have any vaccine-based protection against the coronavirus. Around one in ten eligible people in the UK still haven’t had a first COVID vaccine

My respected neurosurgery colleague just ended his career inauspiciously — having had an affair with a resident. While I don’t know the details, I do know that many a male leader, like my friend, has fallen from his perch due to “zipper malfunction.” Had they stronger zippers, maybe they would have kept their sensitive parts

In a meta-analysis of more than 1 million mothers, those who breastfed their children had an 11% to 17% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke, and of dying from CVD, in later life than mothers who did not. On average, the women had two children and had breastfed for

An adult brain contains about 86 billion neurons and even more supercomputing power to closely monitor the entire human brain. All those neurons have trillions of synapses — or connection points — that make up the circuitry the brain uses to control everything we do from reasoning to breathing to walking. And scientists with the

After looking closely at the drug-drug interactions listed for Pfizer’s new oral COVID-19 drug ritonavir-nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), I realized that a large percentage of my patients are taking medications on the list. The antiviral was granted FDA emergency use authorization in late December for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in patients at high risk of severe

The use of unnecessary radiotherapy in patients with metastatic cancer who are near the end of life is still far higher than guidelines suggest it should be, concludes a nationally comprehensive database study. It underscores the need for better adherence to the guidelines, say the authors. The study was published online January 14 in JAMA

Before omicron, people in the UK with COVID symptoms or a positive test had to self-isolate for ten days. But when the new variant of concern arrived, the government changed the self-isolation period to seven days. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that given what

When it comes to antidepressant prescribing, less may be more, new research suggests. A new review suggests antidepressants are overprescribed and that the efficacy of these agents is questionable, leading researchers to recommend that when physicians prescribe these medications, it should be for shorter periods. “Antidepressants have never been shown to have a clinically significant

“We’ve made too many mistakes by sitting on our butts.” — Eric Feigl-Ding, ScD, of the Federation of American Scientists, on the hesitancy to shift toward using both nasal and throat swabs for Omicron testing. “They’re like, ‘I’m out. I’m done. Yes, you can pay me $75 an hour. I still don’t want it.'” —

Fed up with personal attacks on the nation’s top infectious disease expert, scores of leading scientists and physicians have signed an open letter defending Anthony Fauci, MD, for his years of service to the public and his leadership on the pandemic. “We deplore the personal attacks on Dr. Fauci. The criticism is inaccurate, unscientific, ill-founded

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. Commercial and Medicare Advantage insurers are spending an estimated $129.7 million annually on ivermectin prescriptions for COVID-19, even though the antiparasitic drug has not been shown to be effective against the virus, according to a new JAMA study. The researchers analyzed

The 24-hour news cycle is just as important to medicine as it is to politics, finance, or sports. At MedPage Today, new information is posted daily, but keeping up can be a challenge. As an aid for our readers, here is a 10-question quiz based on the news of the week. Topics include death during

The Isotretinoin Products Manufacturers Group (IPMG) reports that most users of the iPLEDGE Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) should now have access to their accounts, one month after a modified program was launched, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Jan. 14. The IPMG has “created a new tool within the system to help resolve account access

The ketogenic diet is a revolutionary low-carb and high-fat eating program that puts your body into ketosis–the state where you burn fat for energy. There are plenty of benefits of undergoing this diet: quick weight loss, better heart health, balanced hormones, lower blood sugar levels, more energy, and a clear and sharp mind. In a

The Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 14 approved two oral JAK-1 inhibitors for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) — upadacitinib and abrocitinib — making them the first oral JAK inhibitors available for this indication in the United States. “It’s big news because a few years ago we didn’t have any systemic treatments that are safer

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted unanimously to support a recommendation of no change to the physician fee schedule for fiscal year 2023 on Thursday, provoking immediate backlash from the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical groups. A combination of inflation plus lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked concern. Under current law,

Two years into the pandemic, most of us are fed up. COVID case rates are higher than they’ve ever been and hospitalization rates are once again rising rapidly in many countries. Against this bleak picture, we yearn to get back to normal. We’d like to meet friends in a pub or have them over for

Providing detailed informed consent does not appear to improve patients’ comprehension, according to a study published on researchsquare.com as a preprint and not yet peer reviewed. Key Takeaway Patients with cancer are equally likely to understand their treatment when provided long, involved informed consent forms designed for clinical trials and shorter, less comprehensive forms used