Extended osteoporosis treatment fails to further reduce fracture risk
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 08, 2020
Bisphosphonate treatment beyond five years may offer little additional gain in bone loss reduction or fracture risk, a large new study has found.
Biden nominates defender of long-term care causes and a virus expert to health team
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 08, 2020
Xavier Becerra, chosen as secretary of HHS, is California’s attorney general, a former member of Congress and a champion of the ACA and other long-term care industry causes. Rochelle Walensky, M.D.,...
Clinical briefs for Tuesday, Dec. 8
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 08, 2020
HHS rewards more nursing homes for COVID infection control … Healthcare-associated infections decrease in 2019: CDC report … Evidence demonstrates outdoor COVID transmission risk lower than indoor...
Pharmacies to long-term care: Get in front of COVID-19 vaccination questions
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2020
With vaccine approval anticipated shortly, the best communicators will have the smoothest Phase 1 vaccination process, say Omnicare and PharMerica. Community pharmacies have recommendations as well.
The dissent: CDC adviser fears loss of vaccine confidence
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2020
Although the first COVID-19 vaccines may be safe, symptoms or death from unrelated causes in the vulnerable LTC population may be incorrectly associated with immunization, one adviser says.
FDA approves ultraviolet N95 mask cleaning system with small footprint
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2020
The Lumin LM3000 device is authorized for emergency use during the pandemic. It originally was designed to clean continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine accessories.
Clinical briefs for Monday, Dec. 7
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2020
Researchers urge priority vaccination for individuals with diabetes … AstraZeneca vaccine approval iffy in U.S. with current data, OWS scientist says … WHO trial finds no benefit of 4 drugs for hospitalized...
Facility PPE reuse at crisis level, infection preventionists say
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 04, 2020
Fully three quarters of survey respondents say that their healthcare facilities have implemented crisis standards of care for personal protective equipment. The reuse rate is “disheartening,”...
Low-dose steroid ups risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers caution
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 04, 2020
Patients using less than 5 mg of prenisolone per day to treat inflammatory disease had nearly double the odds of developing cardiovascular disease or experiencing an adverse heart or vascular event.
U.S. asthma guidelines updated for first time since 2007
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 04, 2020
The update includes 19 recommendations in six key areas of asthma diagnosis, management and treatment. Several new features aim to help clinicians put the recommendations into practice, and the stepwise...