An estimated 47 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2015, while in the United States, around 5.7 million people have Alzheimer’s dementia. Modifiable risk factors, including hypertension, hearing loss, depression, diabetes, and smoking, account for around 35% of dementia cases. Anticholinergic drugs are another potentially modifiable risk factor. This broad group of drugs acts by blocking the neurotransmitter …
According to the New York Times, Chinese health officials confirmed the world’s first known human infection from a strain of bird flu called H10N3 on June 1, 2021. The 41-year-old man in China’s easter Jiangsu province contracted the virus and was hospitalized April 28. China’s CDC performed genome sequencing on a virus sample from the man on May 28 and …
In an article published in Medpage Today, they discuss the differences between brain age and chronological age. We have all heard about doing crossword puzzles and sudoku assists in maintaining a younger mind, but is it true? According to a recent study, two independent data sets showed that cognitive age, assessed by a novel tool as a “cognitive clock,” predicted …
What do we already know about this topic? “Counties with higher levels of social vulnerability have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Disparities in county-level vaccination coverage by social vulnerability have increased as vaccine eligibility has expanded, especially in large fringe metropolitan (areas surrounding large cities, i.e., suburban) and nonmetropolitan counties. By May 1, 2021, vaccination coverage among adults was lower …
According to a JAMA article published on March 3, 2021, “there is growing optimism and hope that by virtue of ongoing immunization efforts, seasonality (declining infections through August), and naturally acquired immunity, by spring and early summer 2021 in the U.S. there will be a substantial decline in the number of deaths and hospitalizations related to COVID-19. That said, herd …
The following brief was issued by the FDA on May, 19, 2021: Making COVID-19 vaccines widely available is key to getting people vaccinated and bringing the pandemic to an end. Pfizer Inc. submitted data to the FDA to support storage of undiluted, thawed vials of its COVID-19 vaccine for up to one month at refrigerator temperatures. This change should make …
“Telemedicine can have a significant impact on acute stroke care by enabling timely intervention in an ambulance before a patient reaches the hospital. However, limited research has been conducted on understanding and supporting team communication during the care delivery process for telemedicine-enabled stroke care in an ambulance,” according to the National Library of Medicine. That said, a study was conducted …
According to an article published in Health Medicine Network: Monoclonal antibodies, a COVID-19 treatment given early after coronavirus infection, cut the risk of hospitalization and death by 60% in those most likely to suffer complications of the disease, according to an analysis of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center patients who received the medication compared to similar patients who did not. …
The following article was published as a letter to Health Care Providers from the FDA on October 7, 2020. The FDA recommends health care providers provide visual (written or video) step-by-step instructions, in addition to verbal instructions, to patients who, in a health care setting, are self-collecting anterior nares (nasal) samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing. Written instructions may be provided on …
CMS updated their guidance related to emergency preparedness for exercise exemptions based on a facility’s activation of their Emergency Plan. The guidance applies to the below qualified facilities: CMS recognizes many facilities are still operating under disaster/emergency conditions during the PHE, i.e., under an activated emergency plan. We are therefore providing additional guidance for inpatient providers/suppliers, consistent with the exemption …
