Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Allergy for March 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Secondhand Smoke Exposure, Lung Function Link Explored
THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to secondhand smoke during early childhood is associated with decreased lung function, and allergic sensitization affects this association, particularly among girls, according to a study published online March 21 in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.
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Early Immunotherapy May Benefit Autoimmune Epilepsy
WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Patients suspected of having autoimmune epilepsy that fails to respond to anti-epileptic drugs may benefit from early immunotherapy, according to a study published online March 26 in the Archives of Neurology.
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Majority of Children Affected by Allergy-Related Diseases
WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- A majority of children have one or more allergy-related diseases, including eczema, asthma, and rhinitis, according to research published in the April issue of Allergy.
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New Guidelines Issued for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- As the majority of rhinosinusitis cases are viral, antimicrobial therapy should be initiated after establishment of a clinical diagnosis of bacterial rhinosinusitis, and β-lactam agents are recommended for initial therapy, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America's first rhinosinusitis guidelines published online March 20 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Alternative Medicine Alleviates Symptoms of Rhinosinusitis
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- An integrative East-West medicine (IEWM) approach in addition to standard medical treatment improves symptoms and quality of life (QOL) for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), according to a pilot study published in the March issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Health Care Team Members Key for Antimicrobial Stewardship
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) that use health care epidemiologists (HEs) and infection preventionists (IPs) have a crucial role to play in the effort to combat health care-associated infections (HAIs), including those caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), according to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America position paper published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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Survey Describes Docs' Online Professionalism Violations
TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Most medical licensing authorities receive and act upon reports of physicians' online professionalism violations, according to a research letter published in the March 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Poorer Health Literacy Linked to Increased Mortality
FRIDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of older adults in England have medium or low health literacy, which is associated with increased mortality, according to a study published online March 15 in BMJ.
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Fast-Updosed Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Effective
THURSDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- An immunologically-enhanced subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) formulation, with an optimized ratio of allergen to adjuvant, induces a significant immunologic response with acceptable safety when injected every three to four days compared with standard weekly injections, according to a study published online March 3 in Allergy.
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Personal Mobile Computers Improve Resident Efficiency
WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The use of personal mobile computers (Apple iPads) by internal medicine residents improves efficiency, according to a research letter published in the March 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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U.S. Mortality Rates Dropped 60 Percent From 1935 to 2010
TUESDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- From 1935 to 2010, the death rate in the United States decreased considerably, although the single-year improvements in mortality were often small, according to a March data brief issued by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Neonatal Size Associated With Asthma Development
MONDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- Larger neonates born at term to mothers with a history of asthma are more likely to develop asthma by age 7, but are not more likely to have allergic sensitization or atopic dermatitis, according to research published online March 2 in Allergy.
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Flu Vaccine Up Among Medical Staff When They Believe It Works
FRIDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital health care workers (HCWs) are more likely to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination if they believe it works and are committed to preventing this highly contagious virus, according to research published in the April issue of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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Common Products May Contain Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
FRIDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Many common products, including sunscreen and fragranced products, contain multiple endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) or asthma-related chemicals, which are often not listed on the label, according to a study published online March 8 in Environmental Health Perspectives.
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Buprenorphine Maintenance Therapy Not Recommended
THURSDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Opioid substitution therapy with buprenorphine is not recommended for opioid-addicted health care professionals (HCPs), according to research published in the March issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Financial Burden of Medical Care Affects One in Three
WEDNESDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- In the first half of 2011, one in three individuals was in a family that experienced the financial burden of medical care in the United States, according to the results of the National Health Interview Survey published March 7 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Electronic Test Result Access Does Not Reduce Test Ordering
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- For office-based physicians, electronic access to patient imaging and laboratory test results does not decrease -- and may actually increase -- the number of diagnostic tests ordered, according to research published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Increasing Shift From Islet Antibody Positivity to Diabetes
FRIDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- There is an increase in both the prevalence and levels of islet antigen-2 and zinc transporter 8, as well as in autoantibodies, in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients during a period of rising disease incidence, according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes.
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