November 2018 Briefing – Infectious Disease

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for November 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Case Description Can Reliably Define Acute Flaccid Myelitis

FRIDAY, Nov. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A case description can reliably define patients with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), according to a study published online Nov. 30 in JAMA Pediatrics.

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Climate Change Ups Heat Deaths, Especially Among Elderly

THURSDAY, Nov. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Risk for heat-related disease and death is rising worldwide due to climate change, according to a report published online Nov. 28 in The Lancet.

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Most Bills Enacted Into Law Limit Vaccine Exemptions

THURSDAY, Nov. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Most proposed bills in state legislatures from 2011 to 2017 sought to expand access to immunization exemptions, but the majority of bills enacted into law limited exemptions, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the American Journal of Public Health.

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FDA to Update Medical Device Approvals Process

TUESDAY, Nov. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A major update of the United States’ system for approving medical devices was announced yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration.

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FDA: Safe to Eat Romaine Lettuce Again, but Check Labels

TUESDAY, Nov. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In a statement released late yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., announced that the agency was lifting its advisory against eating romaine lettuce, first put in place last Tuesday. At that point, the agency had not been able to narrow down the source of the tainted lettuce. But now the source seems to be “end-of-season” lettuce harvested somewhere in the Central Coast regions of central and northern California. And “harvesting of romaine lettuce from this region has [already] ended for the year,” Gottlieb noted.

More Information: FDA
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Four Principles Underlie Patient and Family Partnership in Care

TUESDAY, Nov. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patient and family partnership in care should include treatment of patients and families with dignity and respect, their active engagement in all aspects of care, and their contribution to the improvement of health care systems and education of health care professionals, according to a position paper published online Nov. 27 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Newborns Infected With Ebola in Congo Outbreak