March 2017 Briefing - Infectious Disease

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for March 2017. 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.

90 Percent of U.S. Physicians Satisfied With Career Choice

FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Nine out of 10 American doctors are happy with their choice of profession, even though they have some challenges, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) survey of 1,200 doctors, residents, and medical students, conducted in February.

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Vertical Integration Insurance Products of Higher Quality

FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Insurance products offered by hospitals and health systems, known as vertical integration, are generally of higher quality than other contracts, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.

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Quinolone Ear Drops Increase Perforation Risk With Ear Tubes

FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Children with tympanostomy tube (TT) placement exposed to quinolone ear drops may have an increased risk of perforations requiring tympanoplasty, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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Hep B, C Could Be Eliminated As Public Health Threats by 2030

THURSDAY, March 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Hepatitis B and C could be eliminated as serious public health problems in the United States by 2030, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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Inadvertent HPV Vax Doesn't Up Risk of Poor Pregnancy Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine during pregnancy is not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the March 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Study Explores Links Between Zika, GBS, Microcephaly in Brazil

WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The causal links between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and microcephaly need to be further clarified, according to a letter to the editor published online March 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Hepatitis B, C Linked to Higher Subsequent Rates of Parkinson's

WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with hepatitis B and hepatitis C have increased rates of subsequent Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study published online March 29 in Neurology.

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TV Ads for ACA Enrollment Linked to Decline in Uninsured Rates

TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The volume of insurance advertisements during the first Affordable Care Act enrollment period correlated with change in uninsurance rates, with a higher volume of television advertisements linked to declines in uninsurance, according to a study published online March 15 in Health Affairs.

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ACP Issues Challenge to Cut Task Burden and Put Patients First

TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a position paper published online March 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations are presented to address the impact of administrative tasks and reduce the administrative burden on clinicians.

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Gastric Acid Suppressants May Up Risk of Recurrent C. difficile

MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Use of gastric acid suppressants may increase the risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), according to a meta-analysis published online March 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Paid Malpractice Claims Cut in Half From 1992 to 2014 in U.S.

MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- From 1992 to 2014 there was a decrease in the rate of malpractice claims paid on behalf of physicians in the United States, but mean compensation amounts increased, according to a study published online March 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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30-Day Mortality Down During Joint Commission Survey Weeks

THURSDAY, March 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients admitted to the hospital during The Joint Commission on-site inspections (surveys) have reduced mortality compared to that seen during non-survey weeks, according to research published online March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Perinatal HIV Infection Down in U.S. From 2002 to 2013

THURSDAY, March 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The estimated annual number of perinatal HIV-infected infants born in the United States decreased from 2002 to 2013, according to a study published online March 20 in JAMA Pediatrics.

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Black, Asian Medical Students Less Likely to Be AΩA Members

TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Asian medical students are less likely to be members of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) honor society than white students, according to a study published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Patient, Physician Co-Washing May Increase Hand Washing

TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A new approach to outpatient hand washing involving patient and physician co-washing may increase hand washing, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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Review: Multiple DAA Regimens Effective for HCV Genotype 1

TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection, multiple direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens show high rates of safety, tolerability, and efficacy, according to a review published online March 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Los Angeles eConsult Program Can Reduce Wait Times

FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of an electronic system for provision of specialty care was rapidly adopted in Los Angeles, and it can reduce wait times to see specialists, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.

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Women Underrepresented Among Grand Rounds Speakers

WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women seem to be underrepresented among academic grand rounds (GR) speakers, according to a research letter published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Immune Responses to Ebola Vaccines Persist at One Year

WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- After heterologous primary and booster vaccination schedule of the adenovirus type 26 vector vaccine encoding Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia virus Ankara vector vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from Ebola, Sudan, Marburg, and Tai Forest viruses nucleoprotein (MVA-BN-Filo) immunity persists for one year, according to a research letter published in the March 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Support for Health Law Up to 48 Percent in February

TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Support for the health law is increasing, with most Americans feeling that Medicaid should continue as it is today, according to a report published by Kaiser Health News.

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Visceral Fat Differentiates Crohn's From Intestinal Tuberculosis

TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Visceral fat (VF) quantification can differentiate Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB), according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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Higher Spending by Physicians Not Tied to Better Outcomes

MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare patients treated by higher-spending physicians are just as likely to be readmitted or die within 30 days of being admitted to the hospital as patients treated by doctors who order fewer or less-expensive tests and treatments, according to a study published online March 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Low, but More Progress Possible

MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A small proportion of HIV-infected women continue to transmit the virus to their neonates despite access to high-quality care, according to research published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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Chorioretinal Lesions Secondary to Zika Virus Observed

MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Acute-onset, self-resolving, placoid or multifocal non-necrotizing chorioretinal lesions may be caused by Zika virus infection, according to a case report published online March 9 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

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Post-PCV13 Drop in Streptococcus pneumoniae Bacteremia

MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Introduction of seven-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) correlated with a reduction in Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia, according to a review published online March 10 in Pediatrics.

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HBV Reactivation Seen With DAA Treatment of Chronic Hep C

MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation may occur in those with current HBV infection, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia ID'd After Babesiosis

FRIDAY, March 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAHA) develops in some patients after babesiosis, with asplenic patients at increased risk, according to a study published in the March 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Recent Outbreak of Yellow Fever in Brazil

THURSDAY, March 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials are concerned about another potential mosquito-borne health threat to Americans -- yellow fever, according to a perspective piece published online March 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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ACA's Medicaid Expansion May Pose Challenges to Timely Care

THURSDAY, March 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- People living in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are less likely to be uninsured or struggling with the strain of unpaid medical bills, but they also seem to have increased difficulty receiving timely care, according to research published in the March 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Nonclinical Factors Drive Antibiotic Choice in Pediatric CAP

THURSDAY, March 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), patient and nonclinical characteristics are associated with receipt of macrolides and broad-spectrum antibiotics versus amoxicillin, according to a study published online March 7 in Pediatrics.

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Rates of Hepatitis C Testing Too Low in Baby Boomers

WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Despite recommendations, too few American baby boomers are tested for hepatitis C virus, according to a study published online March 8 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Routine Antenatal HIV Testing Cost-Effective

WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Routine HIV testing is both cost-effective and cost-saving in antenatal settings, according to a review published online March 2 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

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Study Finds No Link Between Cytomegalovirus, Glioblastoma

WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There's no link between cytomegalovirus (CMV) and glioblastoma or other high-grade gliomas, according to a study published recently in Clinical Cancer Research.

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Republicans Introduce Affordable Care Act Replacement

TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An initial Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act was formally introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.

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Watchful Waiting Cost-Effective for Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines of watchful waiting (WW) for acute otitis media (AOM) is cost-effective, according to research published online March 3 in Pediatrics.

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Most Health Care Providers Can Offer Cost Estimate

MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most provider organizations can offer a cost estimate, although few patients request one, according to a report published by Becker's Hospital CFO.

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Judgement Bias in Medical Device Recall Decisions

FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The characteristics of the signal in user feedback of adverse events associated with medical devices and the situated context of decision makers correlate with judgement bias in reacting to these adverse events, according to research published online Jan. 29 in Production and Operations Management.

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Hospital Floors May Be Breeding Ground for Superbugs

FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital room floors may be more of an infection threat than many hospital staffers realize, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

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CDC: Odds of Birth Defects Up 20-Fold in Mothers With Zika

FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women infected with the Zika virus are 20 times more likely to have an infant born with certain birth defects as mothers who gave birth before the Zika epidemic began, according to research published in the March 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Overall, 8.8 Percent of U.S. Population Uninsured in 2016

THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Overall, 8.8 percent of individuals of all ages were uninsured in the first nine months of 2016, which marked a nonsignificant reduction from 2015, according to a Feb. 14 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

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Exposure to Neuraminidase Inhibitors in Utero Not Harmful

WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to neuraminidase inhibitors during pregnancy is not associated with adverse neonatal outcomes or congenital malformations, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in The BMJ.

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