FDA no longer requires positive COVID-19 test to prescribe Paxlovid, Lagevrio
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 01, 2023
The FDA on Wednesday made it easier for clinicians to prescribe these antiviral drugs in cases where transmission is evident and the patient is at high risk of severe illness.
Analysis: Medication adherence spotty among U.S. diabetes patients
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 01, 2023
A sizable percentage of patients with diabetes do not consistently take prescribed medications to lower cholesterol, glucose or blood pressure, investigators say.
New data: With no booster, nursing home residents face 30 percent higher COVID risk
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 29, 2023
Nursing home residents who have received the COVID-19 bivalent booster shot are 30% to 50% less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 than their fellow residents who haven’t gotten boosted, the...
Many LTC pill thefts still under the radar: study
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Jan 25, 2023
Nurses played a critical role in identifying the theft of more than 11,000 tablets from residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, investigators report.
CMS to begin audits for schizophrenia coding, says citations will affect quality ratings
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 19, 2023
The agency will start auditing nursing homes this month to determine whether residents’ schizophrenia diagnoses are accurate and appropriately coded. A pattern of inaccurate coding may result in a quality...
Clinical briefs for Friday, Jan. 13
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 13, 2023
COVID-19 pneumonia requires longer ventilation, but outcomes similar to other pneumonias … Six daily minutes of intense exercise vs. fasting could delay dementia onset: study … Protein may be biomarker...
Cannabis-related issues sending more seniors to the ED, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 12, 2023
Cannabis-related ED visits for older adults shot up by a whopping 1,800% between 2005 to 2019 in California, investigators say. The state’s experience mirrors national trends.
Amyloid brain plaques not a sure sign of Alzheimer’s, researchers find
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 12, 2023
A new study challenges the theory that an increase in brain amyloid protein signals Alzheimer’s disease. The findings may be especially relevant to clinicians as amyloid-targeting drugs such as Leqembi...
Preventable diseases tied to common, age-related eye condition, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 11, 2023
Age-related macular degeneration is linked to two potentially treatable diseases, suggesting new pathways for preventing progression and blindness, investigators say.
Latest COVID shot cuts hospitalizations in seniors by 81 percent: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 10, 2023
Seniors who receive an omicron-adapted shot are 81% less likely to be hospitalized with severe COVID-19, according to a new study from Israel.