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ACC CV Quality SmartBrief

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  • COVID-19 pneumonia may up mortality in ECMO patients

    A study in the American Journal of Critical Care found patients with COVID-19 pneumonia receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation had a higher risk of death and longer hospital stays, compared with those who had non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Vascular complication rates and the need for dialysis/continuous renal replacement therapy were similar between the groups. Healio (free registration) (3/20) Learn More

  • SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy tied to worse outcomes

    Pregnant women with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially those who are infected in the third trimester or have severe symptoms, carry a higher risk of premature birth, low birth weight and NICU admission, according to a study in the Annals of Epidemiology that analyzed nearly 200,000 births between 2018 and 2021. The findings underscore the vulnerability of pregnant women due to altered immune responses. Contemporary OB/GYN (3/24) Learn More

  • Hospitalizations rise among children in measles outbreak

    A measles outbreak has led to at least 355 cases in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, and officials expect the virus to continue spreading due to low vaccination rates, particularly in Gaines County, Texas, where nearly 20% of incoming kindergarteners were not vaccinated in the 2023-24 school year. The outbreak has resulted in at least 42 hospitalizations and the first measles-related death of the year. CNN (3/21) Learn More

  • H5N1 is firmly entrenched in US, experts say

    Avian influenza is evolving unpredictably, adapting to mammals and raising concerns about its potential to cause a human pandemic, says computational biologist Martha Nelson, a scientist at the NIH who has been monitoring H5N1 outbreaks. Confirmation of infections in rodents near farms is particularly concerning, says veterinarian and epidemiologist Meghan Davis. "There is absolutely no chance of containment, and we now have to think about mitigation and monitoring," said epidemiologist Natasha Bagdasarian. The Verge (3/20) Learn More

  • Asymptomatic UTI patients may get unneeded antibiotics

    A study in the journal Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology found that 72% of patients with asymptomatic urinary tract infections had received unnecessary antibiotics. The research, involving data from 10 hospitals, used a broader definition to capture more cases of inappropriate prescribing. Patient Care (3/21) Learn More

  • Heart rate per step on smartwatch seen as key metric

    A study to be presented at ACC.25 highlights a new metric for smartwatches that could better assess heart fitness. Researchers from Northwestern University found that dividing average daily heart rate by steps provides a more reliable measure of heart health than each metric alone. This heart rate per step metric was strongly associated with conditions such as diabetes, heart failure and hypertension, potentially aiding in early detection and management. HealthDay News (3/24) Learn More

  • What public health needs to address today's challenges

    The US faces a number of public health challenges that a modernized public health system could address, with a particular focus on cross-sector collaboration and coordination, according to a road map for public health that was published as part of the National Academy of Medicine's Vital Directions for Health and Health Care reports. The authors offered recommendations for bringing the system into the modern era, including support for more training programs and better automated reporting. SmartBrief/Health Care (3/24) Learn More

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