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Rapid UTI Diagnostic Test Awarded £8 Million Longitude Prize
Out-of-state abortions soar, and Amazon's One Medical faces serious patient safety concerns
The Sign Out
June 17, 2024
Health News
Rapid UTI Diagnostic Test Awarded £8 Million Longitude Prize
The Longitude Prize, an £8m award, has been given to Sysmex Astrego for their PA-100 AST system, which rapidly diagnoses and recommends antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) within 45 minutes. This breakthrough addresses antimicrobial resistance by significantly reducing the current diagnostic time, a crucial component to combating overprescription and antibiotic resistance.
UTIs affect 50% to 60% of women, with many bacteria already resistant to antibiotics, underscoring the urgent need for accurate and swift diagnostic testing. The Longitude prize aims to promote solutions like the PA-100 AST system, ensuring cost-effective and precise diagnostics worldwide.
Dr. Tom Boyles, a judge for the prize, highlighted the test's potential impact, particularly in regions like Africa, where UTIs are often treated without confirmation, leading to unnecessary antibiotic use. The technology could also facilitate the reintroduction of retired antibiotics and strengthen healthcare responses amidst the escalating challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
Health News
Abortion Travel Soars With 170,000+ Seeking Out-of-State Care
A new report from the Guttmacher Institute shows a sharp increase in individuals traveling out of state for abortion care, exceeding 170,000 since January 2023. This rise reflects growing difficulties accessing abortion services due to strict state laws across the U.S. Out-of-state procedures now make up over 15% of the roughly 1 million clinician-provided abortions performed in the last year, more than double the figure from 2020.
The data illustrates how state-level abortion bans in places like Texas and Florida have pushed individuals to seek services in neighboring states, exacerbating challenges and disparities in abortion access nationwide.
Health News
Amazon’s One Medical Faces Backlash Over Patient Safety Concerns
Amazon's acquisition of One Medical has sparked controversy following revelations of serious lapses in patient care. Internal documents indicate instances where elderly patients with urgent symptoms, such as blood clots and sudden hypertension, were improperly managed, with calls resulting in appointments rather than immediate medical escalation. These incidents, documented between February and March, have raised significant concerns about patient safety and the adequacy of Amazon's approach to healthcare management.
Despite Amazon's stated goal of improving access and efficiency in healthcare services, critics argue that the reliance on contract workers with limited medical training poses substantial risks. Former employees and healthcare experts have pointed out issues such as inadequate training and challenges in recognizing critical symptoms during patient interactions.
The situation underscores broader skepticism about Amazon's ability to balance its customer-centric business model with the complexities and stringent requirements of healthcare delivery.
The controversy surrounding Amazon's changes to One Medical has sparked debates about corporate influence in healthcare, prompting questions about how cost-saving measures impact patient safety.
Journal Gists
Reteplase Risk Is Worth The Reward
Clinical Question: Is reteplase more effective and safe compared to alteplase for early reperfusion therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke?
Bottom Line: In patients with ischemic stroke treated within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, reteplase was more likely to result in an excellent functional outcome compared to alteplase. However, reteplase was associated with a higher incidence of any intracranial hemorrhage and adverse events. The primary efficacy outcome showed 79.5% excellent functional outcomes with reteplase versus 70.4% with alteplase. The primary safety outcome indicated similar rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage between the two treatments. Read more at NEJM.
Type 1 Diabetes Has A Silver Lining
Clinical Question: What are the global trends in prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) among adults aged 65 years and older, and how do these trends vary by sex, age subgroup, region, and sociodemographic index?
Bottom Line: From 1990 to 2019, the prevalence of T1DM among adults aged 65+ increased from 1.3 million to 3.7 million globally, with a 28% rise in age-standardized prevalence rates. Mortality rates decreased by 25%, and DALYs decreased by 8.9%, reflecting improved care. Read more at BMJ.
More In Health News
What in the world is going on?
🪖 U.S. military ran a covert anti-vaccine campaign in Philippines during pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a covert campaign to counter China's influence in the Philippines by spreading anti-vaccine propaganda, according to a Reuters investigation. Using fake social media accounts, the operation criticized Chinese medical supplies and vaccines, including the Sinovac vaccine. Despite social media companies warning the Biden administration, the campaign continued until mid-2021. Reuters has more.
🇧🇷 Fires breakout in world’s largest tropical wetland. Brazil’s Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, is facing record-breaking fires this June, with 733 detected, surpassing the previous record of 435 in 2005. The World Wildlife Fund warns that 2024 could be the worst year for fires, showing an 898% increase from 2023. The Pantanal, vital for its seasonal flooding and carbon storage, is releasing substantial greenhouse gasses amid a severe drought intensified by El Niño. CNN has more.
🚔 Gunman opens fire at Detroit waterpark injuring 9 people. A man shot and injured nine people, including two children, at a water park near Detroit. The suspect, a 42-year-old man, fired approximately 30 shots from a 9mm semi-automatic handgun before being cornered by police. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Read more at Reuters.
🇫🇷 Mass anti-National Rally protests sweep France ahead of snap elections. On Saturday, approximately 300,000 people protested across France against the right-wing National Rally party ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. The party made significant gains in the recent European elections. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renew party suffered defeat in the recent EU parliamentary elections. In response, Macron dissolved the French parliament and called for snap elections, aiming to bolster support for the remainder of his presidential term. Read more at NPR.
In Case You Missed It…
What’s The Diagnosis?
A 60-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with sudden-onset severe chest pain radiating to her back. She is diaphoretic and appears acutely distressed. On examination, her blood pressure is 180/100 mmHg, pulse is 110 bpm, and respiratory rate is 24 breaths per minute. Auscultation reveals a diastolic murmur best heard at the left sternal border. An ECG shows new-onset ST-segment elevation in leads V1-V4. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
a) Myocardial Infarction
b) Aortic Dissection
c) Pulmonary Embolism
d) Acute Pericarditis
e) Pneumothorax
Answer: uoᴉʇɔǝssᴉp ɔᴉʇɹo∀ (q
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