Frailty may better predict COVID-19 survival than age, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 20, 2020
Among 250 hospitalized study participants, 75% survived the disease. Degree of frailty better indicated the likelihood of recovery and discharge than patient age, investigators say.
Compression therapy thwarts recurring cellulitis in small trial
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 20, 2020
Patients with chronic edema of the leg had lower recurrence of cellulitis with compression therapy when compared with conservative treatment, a long-term study has found.
Sweet finding: Honey ‘superior to usual care’ in relieving cold symptoms
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 20, 2020
University of Oxford School of Medicine researchers have found that honey relieves symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection better than over-the-counter medicines and antibiotics.
Clinical briefs for Thursday, August 20
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 20, 2020
Masks, protective gear remain hard to get for small buyers … Major coalition urges catch-up on missed vaccinations due to pandemic … ‘Failed’ Alzheimer’s research should be re-evaluated in light...
Psychotropics filled at same rate for community dwellers and LTC residents with dementia
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 19, 2020
Nearly three-quarters of community-dwelling older adults with dementia fill prescriptions for psychotropic drugs, similar to the prescription rate in eldercare facilities, a new study has found.
Alzheimer’s brain changes linked to insulin resistance
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 19, 2020
Elders at risk for dementia who were found to have brain amyloid plaques had slightly better insulin homeostasis — or stability — than those without, investigators say.
Hydroxychloroquine does not prevent COVID-19 in autoimmune disease patients, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 19, 2020
Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients taking the drug were no less likely to contract COVID than those who weren’t. The results suggest that hydroxychloroquine will not prevent the disease in the...
Clinical briefs for Wednesday, Aug. 19
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 19, 2020
CMS’s Fundamentals of COVID-19 Prevention webinars begin Thursday … FDA alert: Inaccurate results with Thermo Fisher Scientific TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit … Patchwork COVID-19 testing system complicates...
Functional cognitive disorder is dementia care providers’ ‘blind spot,’ experts say
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 18, 2020
Nearly a third of people being treated for early dementia may instead have functional cognitive disorder, a manageable and possibly reversible condition.
States begin to limit coronavirus testing as turnaround times slow
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 18, 2020
Several states are rethinking their COVID-19 testing strategies, limiting tests while overburdened diagnostic laboratories catch up with backlogs of up to two weeks, according to a new report.