Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Covid; Flu And Antibiotics; PTSD
Rates of severe pregnancy-related complications and severe maternal illness and death rose significantly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, find two retrospective US studies published late last week in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 8/15)
COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic had 4% higher healthcare use in the 6 months after illness onset than matched controls, most notably for infection-related conditions, hair loss, bronchitis, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, and shortness of breath, finds a study today in JAMA Network Open. (8/12)
A retrospective analysis of US hospital data found that the use of certain inpatient antibiotics was strongly associated with influenza activity during the 2015 through 2019 viral respiratory seasons, researchers reported yesterday in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. (8/12)
Two research groups at the University of Texas at Dallas are exploring a treatment that could improve the recovery of people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS, used with traditional treatments for PTSD, may help shorten the length of treatment, increase its effectiveness and make the process more tolerable for patients. (Rodriguez, 8/15)
