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Will There Be a Winter Surge of COVID-19?
Even amid an ongoing storm of other respiratory infections, some argue that the widely predicted winter surge of COVID-19 in the United States will be blunted by vaccination, natural infection, and hybrid immunity in the population.
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Pros and Cons of ‘Proning’ COVID-19 Patients in ICU
Many COVID-19 patients admitted for critical care may be periodically placed on their stomachs, a potentially life-saving course of treatment called “proning.” But proning makes intravenous lines difficult to access, drains patient oral secretions onto line sites, and increases the risk of some healthcare-associated infections.
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Addressing Racism and Microaggressions in Healthcare
Black women in healthcare face entrenched racism on a daily basis, from the death by a thousand cuts of microaggressions to the longstanding barriers to leadership positions.
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CDC Dental Infections Alert
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending treating dental unit waterlines and monitoring water quality after multiple outbreaks of nontuberculous Mycobacteria infections in children who received pulpotomies.
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Ethical Use of Restraint Hinges on Decision-Making Capacity
The situation becomes ethically complex if the patient’s capacity is unclear, ambiguous, or fluctuating. It is much harder to know if, when, and how to avoid inflicting harm while balancing the patient’s legal and ethical right to make their own decisions.
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Occupational Monkeypox in Healthcare Workers
Although the overall risk of transmission is low, at least two healthcare workers have been occupationally infected with monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the United States. In an unusual case, two caregivers were infected by environmental fomites in the home of a patient in Brazil. Although rare, healthcare workers have been infected in previous outbreaks, and there likely are a fair number of unreported cases, given the stigma associated with MPXV.
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Reassuring Monkeypox Findings from Colorado
Although vigilance with infection control is critical, Colorado public health investigators concluded the risk of healthcare workers acquiring occupational monkeypox is “very low.” They meticulously identified and followed more than 300 medical staff that cared for patients who were later diagnosed with monkeypox.
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Endemic Monkeypox, Fear of U.S. Animal Reservoir
The United States continues to report the most cases of monkeypox of any country in world, with 27,884 cases and six deaths as of Oct. 21. However, the outbreak is receding compared to earlier spikes in cases, as that case count represents only a small increase over the 26,049 reported Sept. 30. In a disturbing scenario, the CDC raised the possibility monkeypox could establish an animal reservoir in the United States.
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Using ‘Psychological Safety’ to Improve Education
Creating psychological safety in medical education opens up learners to the experience, making it more likely they will ask questions and actively participate. A psychologically safe educational environment means learners know they will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.
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Vaccine Second Shot, Boosters Kick in Protective Effect
A study of healthcare and other frontline workers with COVID-19 showed a history of two or three mRNA vaccine doses significantly reduced the severity of illness. Workers who received two or three doses of vaccine reported less fever and chills, less need for medical care, and lower viral load than in the non-vaccinated cohort.