Summer

Vaccine :: APhA Publishes New Vaccine Bulletin

As summer comes to a close, many parents are preparing their children to return to school. Any back to school plan will probably include a trip to the doctor or the neighborhood pharmacist to receive vaccinations. While children are commonly vaccinated to protect against chicken pox, measles and polio , one health threat often overlooked is pertussis. The spread of pertussis, also known as the ?whooping cough?, declined after widespread use of the vaccine began during the 1940s. However, since 1990 the illness, characterized by severe coughing, has been on the rise, particularly among older adolescents and adults who may have developed immunity to early vaccinations. Many adults do not realize that they are carriers of the disease. The illness spreads quickly when a sick patient sneezes, coughs or even talks and can have serious consequences for infants and toddlers who are exposed. Until recently, there was no pertussis containing vaccine approved in the United States for adolescents and adults.

Sleep :: AASM encourages those student-athletes at risk for developing osa to visit a sleep clinic

For most children and teens, the beginning of a new school year is just around the corner. Not only will they be hitting the books again after a three-month-long summer break, but many of them will also participate in after-school activities. More research is emerging that sheds light on a serious problem affecting student-athletes nationwide: the number of children and teens who are considered obese is rising dramatically.

Health Insurance :: New state-by-state analysis shows 6.6 million children covered by SCHIP at some point last year

With the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) set to expire Sept. 30, experts say that unless Congress and the White House reauthorize the program and agree on its funding, coverage for vulnerable children nationwide will be in jeopardy.

Sinusitis :: Accentia issues update on blinded results in phase 3 of SinuNase for chronic sinusitis

Based on an interim blinded analysis of the first group of the more than 80 patients who have now completed the trial at 16 weeks, the study has shown improvement in polyposis by endoscopy in about 50 percent of patients (N=43) and improvement in sinus inflammation by CT scan in approximately 50 percent of patients (N=23). Moreover, 50 percent of patients with objective evidence of improvement have achieved the primary endpoint of complete resolution of cardinal symptoms.

Heatstroke :: Study, meta-analysis examine factors associated with death from heatstroke

Individuals who live in a nursing home or take medication to lower blood pressure appear more likely to die during or following hospitalization for heatstroke, according to a study posted online today that will appear in a later print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.