CDC: Pregnancies without prenatal care rise amid declining US birth rates
Editor's Note The percentage of new mothers without any prenatal care is rising amid an overall decline in US birth rates, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NBC News reported on the data August 21. According to the article, CDCโs National Center for…
Antibiotics gaining acceptance as potential alternative to pediatric appendectomy
Editor's Note Evidence is mounting for the use of antibiotics as a valid alternative to surgery for acute appendicitis, including in pediatric cases, the Washington Post reported August 17. The article details how this treatmentโdescribed as a โdark secretโ by one expert testifying to its use in the 1950s, prior…
Battery problem prompts FDA Class 1 recall for infusion pumps
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) has classified a recall of ICU Medicalโs Plum 360, Plum A+ and Plum A+3 infusion pumps as Class 1, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. According to he agencyโs August 20 announcement, the company is updating…
California bill seeks stricter oversight of private equity in healthcare
Editor's Note A bill in California that aims to increase oversight of private equity healthcare investments is receiving support from consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association and opposition from hospitals worried about losing funding sources, the Los Angeles Times reported August 9. Sponsored by Attorney General Rob…
Study: Starting adjuvant chemotherapy more than 6 weeks after surgery worsens colorectal cancer survival
Editor's Note A post hoc analysis of the SCOT phase 3 randomized clinical trial reveals that initiating adjuvant chemotherapy more than 6 weeks after surgery is linked to worse disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with high-risk stage II and stage III colorectal cancer. Published June 12 in JAMA Surgery, the…
Planned Parenthood offers free abortions, vasectomies at DNC
Editor's Note Planned Parenthood used the occasion of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to offer free medication abortions and vasectomies at a mobile clinic, the Chicago Tribune reported August 19. According to the article, the group aims to demonstrate the possibilities of accessible reproductive healthcare when supported by favorable…
Injectable โgooโ could eliminate joint surgery, treat osteoarthritis, animal study shows
Editor's Note A newly developed biomaterial could treat crippling arthritis by prompting the growth of new cartilage, according to an animal study conducted at Northwestern University and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to an August 6 article by U.S. News and World Report, the…
Physicians group condemns use of live animals for surgical training
Editor's Note An August 6 report in MedPage Today details how the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is pushing to end the practice of using live animals for physiology training. According to the article, some surgical residencies use live animals (usually pigs) as practice patients. In contrast, only 3%…
Study: Healthcare workers more susceptible to debt than those in other industries
Editor's Note Extensive training and lower wages lead healthcare workers to accrue more debt than those in other industries, according to a recent analysis published in JAMA Health Forum.ย Findings were based on 2018-2021 data from U.S. Census Bureauโs Survey of Income and Program Participation. According to an August 5…
Propofol study shows how consciousness research could improve anesthesia safety
Editor's Note Propofol research published in the journal Neuron has broader implications for enabling more precise, safer doses of anesthesia, according to an August 14 report in Anesthesiology News. According to the article, anesthesiologists tend to use higher doses of anesthetics because they rely on indirect measures, such as heart…