Less than a week since the first human cases of H7N9 infection were announced by Chinese authorities, world animal health authorities already have information on possible animal sources and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to… Read More ›
Over the last decade, most acute care hospitals have been able to reduce 30-day mortality rates for patients with myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. But small rural hospitals participating in a federal program to increase rural access have… Read More ›
The identification of 3 unrelated cases of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza in China has prompted international concern. Outbreaks of avian influenza, which primarily affects birds, may cause poultry growers to lose thousands of animals and incur large economic… Read More ›
Giving patients with allergic rhinitis or asthma a daily dose of allergens under the tongue appears to be an effective option to help desensitize them to respiratory allergens, according to a review published in JAMA today. Patients who experience respiratory… Read More ›
Scientists have discovered that a new coronavirus appears to be able to pass back and forth from animals to humans, which would make eliminating the virus difficult or impossible. Since June, the new coronavirus, called hCoV-EMC, has been linked to… Read More ›
Benzodiazepines, a commonly prescribed class of drugs used for treating insomnia, anxiety, and other conditions, may also increase a person’s risk of contracting and dying from pneumonia. Patients who were taking these drugs or had taken them in the past… Read More ›
Nearly 1 in 10 US adults with asthma who’ve ever worked full or part time can chalk up at least some of their symptoms to conditions at work, according to a new federal study. In today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly… Read More ›
The deaths of 3 family members coinfected with seasonal influenza and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have prompted public health officials to remind clinicians how serious such infections can be. A report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… Read More ›
Despite US air quality being the cleanest it has been in the 13 years since the American Lung Association began tracking it, more than 40% of people—about 127 million individuals—still live in counties with unhealthy levels of either ozone or… Read More ›
When insurance companies pass a larger share of the costs of asthma medications along to families, children aged 5 years or older use slightly less medication and are hospitalized more frequently, report researchers in this week’s JAMA. But such cost… Read More ›
