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☆ More people with Down syndrome are living longer, but medical systems aren’t keeping up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Tony Leys | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Marilyn researched online and learned the University of Kansas Health System has a special medical clinic for adults with Down syndrome. The clinic Marilyn found is in Kansas City, Kansas, 80 miles northwest of the family’s cattle farm in central Missouri. A directory published by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation lists just 15 medical programs nationwide that are housed outside of children’s hospitals and that accept Down syndrome patients who are 30 or older. But she has felt treated like a child by other health care providers, who have spoken to her parents instead of to her during appointments. Advocates and clinicians say it’s crucial for health care providers to communicate as much as possible with patients who have disabilities.

☆ World Transplant Games: The unexpected journeys of four athletes to one of the biggest competitions you've probably never heard of
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Eryn Mathewson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

British supporters gesture during the opening ceremony of the XXI World Transplant Games 2017 in Malaga, Spain on June 25, 2017. Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty ImagesWhat are the World Transplant Games? The World Transplant Games is not a household name like the Special Olympics or the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The Road Race starts at the 2019 World Transplant Games in Newcastle-Gateshead, United Kingdom. Price is currently recovering from a non-transplant related surgery, but said she’s ready to make her second appearance at the World Transplant Games.

CNN —Grant Wahl, the American soccer reporter who collapsed and died while covering the World Cup in Qatar last week, died of an aortic aneurysm that ruptured, his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, said Wednesday. Wahl, a longtime college basketball and soccer reporter for Sports Illustrated and for his own newsletter, collapsed while covering Friday’s Argentina-Netherlands match and was later declared dead. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in the aorta – the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the chest. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said an aortic aneurysm is generally rare and difficult to spot. He added that he sought help at the clinic at the World Cup media center, believing he had bronchitis.

☆ More than half of people involved in road accidents had drugs or alcohol in their system, study says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —More than 55% of people involved in serious or fatal road accidents tested positive for drugs or alcohol, according to a new study. Alcohol and drugs can impair a person’s reaction time, thinking and physical ability to navigate the road. The study found that a quarter of serious or fatal accidents involved someone who tested positive for some form of weed, and nearly a quarter more had alcohol in their system. About 11% of people tested positive for some form of stimulant, like cocaine or methamphetamines, and 9% had opioids in their system. In 32% of the fatal accidents and 18% of the ones with serious injuries, there were two or more drugs in the system of someone involved.

☆ Only 14% of diagnosed cancers in the US are detected by screening, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A small proportion – 14.1% – of all diagnosed cancers in the United States are detected by screening with a recommended screening test, according to a new report. “I was shocked that only 14% of cancers were detected by screening. I think, for many people, we talk so much about cancer screening that we imagine that that’s how all cancers are diagnosed. She suspects that the percentage of cancers detected by screening could now be even lower than what was found in the new report. “I definitely think that the percent of cancers detected by screening would have been lower as a result of the pandemic.

☆ High demand for children's medications shines a light on fragile US drug supplies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Even when demand is not sky-high, drugs shortages happen regularly – but usually more quietly – in the US. At any time, the reasons why shelves may be empty vary from place to place and from drug to drug. With children’s medications, drug manufacturers say they are running full-tilt, and they planned for some increase in sales over the winter months. The FDA tracks drug shortages too, taking reports directly from manufacturers, but it defines them differently than the pharmacists’ group. The White House says drug shortages are a priority for President Biden’s administration, too.

Just because rural areas are less populated doesn’t mean it’s cheaper to provide health services there. She recommends that rural counties explore lower-cost, evidence-based options like distributing naloxone, funding syringe service programs, or connecting people to housing or employment. “We couldn’t function if we didn’t partner for lots of different services.”In Colorado, pooling funds is built into the state’s model for managing opioid settlement money. “Nobody has paid any attention to our rural areas and this problem for years,” Laske said. They cross-referenced the results with a list of allowable uses for the $9 million in settlement funds they’ll receive over 18 years to create a priority grid.

☆ FDA needs to do better at policing online tobacco retailers, new report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration is falling down on the job of policing online tobacco retailers, according to a highly critical new report from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. “It is unclear to what extent FDA conducted additional oversight of these online tobacco retailers at later dates and found subsequent violations that could result in FDA taking enforcement actions,” the report says. While it can be difficult to police online retailers due to the sheer volume and the internet’s “wild West” nature, as one FDA official described it in the report, it says the FDA could do better by collaborating more closely with ATF on the oversight of these online retailers. The report recommends that the FDA finish making rules about online sales, as it was supposed to do years ago, and collect data about its oversight of online retailers. What stood out to Sward in the report was the FDA’s lack of follow-up beyond warning letters to online retailers.

☆ Flu surged in the United States after Thanksgiving, data shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Flu surged in the United States after Thanksgiving, bringing the most severe week yet in a season that hit the county extra early. The latest update captures data through December 3 and is the first full week of data post-Thanksgiving. Nearly 26,000 people were admitted to the hospital for flu last week, filling about 6,000 more beds than the week before. Data from Walgreens that tracks prescriptions for Tamiflu and other flu treatments suggests that flu hotspots spread from El Paso to southwest Virginia. But now, only about 6% of beds are in use for Covid-19 patients, according to the HHS data.

When she checked availability of these pain- and fever-reducing meds this week, out of 40 products – different flavors, sizes and strengths – none was in stock. For kids over 2 months of age, there is no magic number at which a fever needs to be treated. She says this is a great option for kids who can’t keep food or liquids down, too. What not to doThere are also some important things not to do if you can’t find the medication you need. Also, lukewarm baths are OK, but it’s not a good idea to put a child with a fever into a cold bath, Ahmann says.

☆ Targeted therapy shows benefit for people with advanced breast cancer in late-stage trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The details of the trial were presented Thursday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The trial involved 708 adults with HR-positive, HER2-low or -negative breast cancer whose disease has recurred or progressed during or after certain previous treatments. About three-quarters of women with metastatic breast cancer have HR-positive breast cancer. He points to the cancer drug Avastin, which was initially touted as having an advantage in progression-free survival for metastatic breast cancer. Burstein said he is encouraged by many of the presentations at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

☆ Face masks come back to forefront amid triple threat of Covid-19, flu, RSV
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Local officials mulling over masksThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers specific guidance on when masking is recommended based on its Covid-19 community levels. The agency says that people may choose to wear masks at any time but that a “high-quality mask or respirator” is recommended for everyone when a county has a “high” Covid-19 community level. As of Thursday, about 5.66% of US counties have high community levels, including some places in Arizona, Wyoming, Oregon and the Dakotas. Even without a mandate, she emphasized community efforts like wearing masks inside when possible and getting Covid-19 vaccines or boosters. “We do know that 5% of the population is living in places with a high Covid-19 community level.

☆ Home delivery of medications can help improve access, especially when time is tight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

As the supply of Paxlovid has grown, efforts have been made to improve timely, equitable access to the treatment. Transportation is one significant barrier to health care access for many people, experts say, but creating equitable outcomes will involve a much more comprehensive approach. The initiative is meant to increase access to Covid-19 treatment, particularly for those in socially vulnerable or medically underserved communities. “It’s a combination of things that prevent access to care,” said Werner, whose research has focused on health equity. And those may be the ones that I think would be ripe for this kind of home-based delivery system,” Werner said.

☆ More than 180,000 people overdosed on opioids and survived in the past year, new White House dashboard shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This first-of-its-kind dashboard was developed to track nonfatal opioid overdoses, which have become a growing public health concern as the US struggles with a decades-long opioid epidemic. It will “empower local communities” to tailor their opioid overdose responses and track their progress, Gupta said. “We know that there are significantly more nonfatal overdoses than fatal ones, of which there are over 100,000 a year. Across the United States, the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl has become the most commonly used drug involved in drug overdoses. In 2020, a report from the CDC found that opioids have “substantial involvement” in nonfatal overdoses, including those involving other types of drugs, and these types of nonfatal overdoses are on the rise.

☆ What is stiff person syndrome?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological condition that can take years to diagnose and tailor treatment. What is stiff person syndrome? The first case of stiff person syndrome was reported in the 1950s, according to Newsome, and the disease was historically referred to as “stiff man syndrome.”Since then, it has been found to affect twice as many women than men, and the name was changed to stiff person syndrome to avoid confusion. On average, it takes about seven years for someone to receive a diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Newsome says. “Sometimes, [patients] get labeled crazy,” he said, “because on exam early on, there aren’t the hallmark features of stiff person syndrome.”How is stiff person syndrome treated?

☆ Children as young as 6 months can now receive an updated Covid-19 vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jamie Gumbrecht | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Children as young as 6 months are now eligible to receive an updated Covid-19 vaccine. The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized updated Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech for use in children from ages 6 months through 5 years. Not all young children are eligible to receive an updated vaccine:Children age 6 months through age 5 who received the original, two-dose Moderna vaccine are eligible to receive a single booster of the updated bivalent Moderna vaccine two months after completing the primary vaccine series. Children age 6 months through 4 years who haven’t started their three-dose primary series of the Pfizer vaccine or received the third dose will receive the updated Pfizer vaccine as the third dose of the primary series. The data to support giving an updated bivalent booster dose for these children are expected in January.

☆ Hospitals in the US are the fullest they’ve been throughout the pandemic – but it’s not just Covid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hospitals are more full than they’ve been throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. But as respiratory virus season surges across the US, it’s much more than Covid that’s filling beds this year. More than 80% of hospital beds are in use nationwide, jumping 8 percentage points in the past two weeks. Pediatric hospital beds also have been more full than usual for months. About 76% of pediatric hospital beds are in use, up from an average of about two-thirds full in recent years.

☆ The flu can be a big deal for children. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The culprit behind her illness: influenza A, the most common strain of the influenza virus currently circulating across the country. “Young children are at higher risk of hospitalization and serious complications of flu,” she added. “I don’t wish this on anyone.”The best way to protect your familyMost children with influenza will recover well at home, Lockwood explains. “Getting a flu shot is the single best way to prevent the flu,” Stockwell said. Children 6 months through 8 years who are receiving the flu vaccine for the first time should receive two doses one month apart.

“And the pulse oximeter is used from any age to geriatrics,” he said. The US Food and Drug Administration is mulling over next steps for the regulation of pulse oximeter devices, which may give less accurate readings for people of color. A panel of its Medical Devices Advisory Committee met in November to review clinical data on the issue. “I think of the pulse oximeter reading in the same way. Of course this can be dangerous.”Ultimately, the pulse oximeter can estimate the amount of oxygen a person has in their blood without the need for a blood sample.

☆ Statins lower the risk of one of the deadliest kinds of strokes, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Doctors know that drugs called statins lower a person’s risk of a stroke due to a blood clot. But a new study shows that the inexpensive medications can also decrease the risk of a first stroke as a result of an intracerebral hemorrhage, the deadliest kind. People in the study who used statins for any period of time had a 17% lower risk of a stroke in the lobe areas of the brain and a 16% lower risk of a stroke in the non-lobe areas of the brain. When they used a statin for more than five years, they had a 33% lower risk of a bleeding stroke in the lobe areas and a 38% lower risk in the non-lobe areas. She said this study shows what biologically makes sense: Taking statins and keeping fatty deposits from building up in the arteries makes hemorrhagic strokes less likely.

☆ Measles outbreak in central Ohio grows to more than 50 children, driven by ‘lack of vaccination’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A measles outbreak in central Ohio is growing, sickening more than 50 children, with many of them needing hospitalization, according to data updated Tuesday by Columbus Public Health. “Measles can be very serious, especially for children under age 5,” Columbus Public Health spokesperson Kelli Newman wrote in an email Monday. In the Ohio outbreak, the hospitalized children have been seen at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “For measles, it is the most infectious disease we have,” she said. Pediatric hospitals already strainedWhile the measles outbreak spreads across central Ohio, the United States has been battling a surge of respiratory illnesses, such as flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

☆ In wake of baby formula crisis, critical report recommends major food safety changes at FDA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It enforces food safety regulations, works with local governments on food safety information, promotes dietary guidelines, and develops food safety information and education, as well as overseeing nutrition labels on most food and being responsible for promoting good nutrition practices to the US public. Another would have the FDA develop a strategy to increase funding for the Human Foods Program, with help from Congress. “The current culture of the FDA Human Foods Program is inhibiting its ability to effectively accomplish this goal” of protecting public health,” the report says. “The work of these independent evaluators will help to inform a new vision for the FDA Human Foods Program,” Califf said in a news release. Some critics have suggested that food safety takes a back seat to the FDA’s regulations of drugs and medical devices.

☆ Drug overdose deaths during pregnancy and postpartum rose sharply in recent years, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Drug overdose deaths reached record levels nationwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, and research published Tuesday suggests an outsized effect on pregnant and recently pregnant people. In 2020, there were about 12 pregnancy-associated overdose deaths for every 100,000 births – a 46% spike in one year and an 81% increase since 2017. The lack of reliable information on pregnancy-associated overdose deaths has made it challenging to delve into how and why trends might be different for this group compared with others, Bruzelius said. Mirroring national trends, the new study found a large increase in pregnancy-associated overdose deaths that involved fentanyl and other synthetic drugs and psychostimulants in recent years. And often the way our health care system deals with them is the focus really changes from the pregnant person to the baby.

☆ Flu vaccine appears to be a very good match to circulating strains, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This year’s flu shot appears to be “a very good match” to the circulating strains, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a news briefing Monday. Flu vaccinations for children are down about 5% compared with where they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, Walensky said. The good news is that looks like it is a very good match,” Walensky said of the early start to the respiratory virus season. She noted that the CDC would have more definitive data later in the season but that the data is encouraging. It’s not very good at interrupting transmission, and it is not very good at preventing milder infection,” he said.

☆ Demand for hospital-grade cribs on the rise as viral illnesses continue to surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Pediatric hospital beds have been more full than usual for months. Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has brought out both specialized and non-specialized cribs from storage to meet the demand of pediatric patients. Demand at Hard Manufacturing, which makes cribs, bassinets and youth beds for hospitals, has shot up, President Marjorie Bryen said. “At Nemours Children’s Health, these supply challenges are magnified due to pediatric populations needing more specialized equipment to accommodate different stages of growth. “The Administration has exercised regulatory flexibilities to help health care providers and suppliers continue to respond to COVID-19.

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