A multidisciplinary, pharmacy-based intervention to improve health outcomes for patients with undiagnosed knee osteoarthritis produced significant increases in more than half of the Arthritis Foundation quality indicators.
The new Infectious Diseases Society of America guideline on diagnosis and management of Group A streptococcal pharyngitis (“strep throat”) urges physicians to refrain from prescribing antimicrobial agents for pharyngitis unless the results of rapid antigen detection testing confirm the presence of group A streptococcus.
Direct-to-consumer drug advertisements contain significantly less information about potential risks after a prescription medication becomes available for nonprescription use, based on an analysis of print and broadcast ads for loratadine, omeprazole, orlistat, and cetirizine.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies encompassing more than 68,000 patients found no significant associations between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) supplementation and a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, myocardial infarction, or stroke.
A case-control study that assessed the risk of pertussis (whooping cough) in children 4 to 12 years of age revealed waning disease protection during the 5 years after a fifth dose of diphtheria–tetanus–acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, such that the odds of acquiring pertussis increased by an average of 42% each year.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials that included 551 moderate-to-heavy alcohol users, daily administration of acetaminophen at or near the maximum recommended dose (4 g/day) had minimal effects on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels when measured on study day 4.