As is often the case, a range of healthcare topics were in the news this week. After a record high of nearly 107,000 overdose deaths in the part 12 months, President Biden sent the Administration’s national drug control strategy to Congress. The strategy focuses on harm reduction by addressing untreated addiction and drug trafficking. In other news, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that COVID-19 was the third leading cause of the death in the U.S. in 2021, as it was in 2020. The CDC also issued a nationwide alert to healthcare providers about an unusual cluster of U.S. children with serious hepatitis cases and adenovirus infection for which the cause, or causes, is not known. CDC is also aware of an increase in cases of pediatric hepatitis without a known cause recently reported in Europe.
The other healthcare related topics in the news this week included continued cyber security risks, a District court’s action ending of the mask mandate on public transportation, and reproductive rights. Not to be overlooked, reporting continued on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s upcoming episode promoting unproven “bromeopathy” therapy and “testicle tanning”. While this brought many laughs to a large Twitter Space on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the predominantly international group of participants struggled to understand why this was even in the US news.
This Weekend Reading Series begins with In the News, with articles on a variety of current healthcare topics, including drug mark-ups at cancer hospitals, genetic prenatal screening tests, and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. In Stop in the Name of Facts, you will find articles on the tanning testicles, snake venom and Covid-19, organ donation myths and more! Next explore the articles in Mercy, Mercy Me, covering the leading cause of death of children and teens, the impact of heartbeat tracking technology on worrying, an Earth Day story and insurance coverage for millions at risk. Finally, do not miss How Sweet It Is and my personal favorite, Elderly Ukrainian refugee reunited with dog in Co Clare.
I hope you enjoy the following:
1. In the News
- Medscape: Cancer Hospitals Often Mark Up Drug Prices, Ignore Price Transparency Rules
- HealthDay: FDA Warns About Genetic Noninvasive Prenatal Screening Tests
- Medical X Press: Alarmingly high rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing to older and Black patients, finds US study
- The New York Times: C.D.C. Issues Alert Over Cluster of Hepatitis Cases in Children
2. Stop in the Name of Facts
- WebMD: You Want Me to Tan My WHAT, Tucker Carlson?
- Kaiser Health News: US Rep. Gaetz’s Diagnosis of What’s Driving Insulin Costs Misses the Root Cause
- Poynter Institute: Radio host Stew Peters’ ‘Watch the Water’ film ridiculously claims COVID-19 is snake venom
- Medical X Press: Consumer Health: Addressing concerns and dispelling myths about organ donation
3. Mercy, Mercy Me
- Futurity: Guns are now the #1 cause of death for kids and teens
- Kaiser Health News: Heartbeat-Tracking Technology Raises Patients’ and Doctors’ Worries
- MedPage Today: (Opinion) A New Patient Safety Metric: Health System Sustainability— We need to expand the scope of what it means to protect patients
- The Commonwealth Fund: Unless Congress Acts, Recent Gains in Insurance Coverage Could Reverse
4. How Sweet it Is
- Smithsonian Magazine: Why Your Favorite Sugary Breakfast Cereal Is Suddenly Everywhere
- RTÉ.ie: Ireland’s National Public Service Media: Elderly Ukrainian refugee reunited with dog in Co Clare
- BON APPÉTIT: The Twisted History of Licorice, the Candy We Love to Hate
- Smithsonian Magazine: Baby Seal Found in a Traffic Circle on Long Island Released Back Into the Ocean
Enjoy your weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]
