Thursday, November 16, 2017

Sponsored by

Good morning, everyone! Megan here to get you ahead of the day's news in health and medicine. 

Despite warning, kids still given codeine after surgery

There’s a "black box” warning on codeine that cautions doctors not to use the opioid painkiller in children having their tonsils or adenoids taken out — but despite that, nearly 5 percent of kids are still given the medication after those surgeries. A new analysis of more than 360,000 kids who had a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy between 2010 and 2015 finds that codeine prescribing related to those procedures fell roughly 13 percentage points after the FDA cautioned against it in 2013. The warning came after reports of serious respiratory problems and deaths among children given codeine after the commone procedures. The decrease in codeine prescriptions was matched by an uptick in prescriptions for stronger opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone, which the authors say also warrants a closer look.

AMA urges employers to create living donor policies

The American Medical Association is encouraging employers to start offering paid leave for employees who are donating organs. Living organ donors — who can donate a kidney or parts of their liver, lung, pancreas, or intestines — don't always have enough time off to recover from their surgery without losing wages. The AMA's board of delegates approved a new policy this week that urges employers to take the benefits of living organ donation into account and come up with new policies that accommodate employees who take time off to donate. The group also rolled out a new policy to boost organ donations — particularly among minority groups with low donation rates — by creating public education programs that prompt more people to become organ donors. 

Salmonella tied to dairy cows sickens dozens

The CDC reports that 54 people have been sickened with salmonella infections linked to cows, and many of the antibiotics commonly used to treat salmonella aren’t working to combat this particular strain. The outbreak — which spans 15 states and has left 17 people hospitalized — has been linked to contact with dairy calves. Many of those sickened were children who'd encountered others who had come in contact with dairy calves. The CDC is urging people to use a special set of clothing, shoes, and gloves when working with livestock and to leave those items outside the home.

Sponsor content by Amgen and Novartis

Breaking down migraine stereotypes: How one man is changing the conversation

Rick Schulze has spent decades fighting the stereotype that migraine is a "woman's disease." But today, he lives without shame, and empowers other men to speak out and seek help. Read his story.

Inside STAT: Unraveling the mysteries of pancreatic cancer

a close-up look at pancreaTIC CANCER CELLS. (ANNE WESTON/WELLCOME IMAGES)

Just 20 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive a year after diagnosis, and only 7 percent make it to the five-year mark. But recent, early-stage discoveries in the lab and in patients have offered new insights into the causes and the progression of the disease — and one day, could help doctors better detect and treat pancreatic cancer. Researchers recently reported they've found bacteria in colon and pancreatic cancers that actually break down chemo drugs and render them ineffective. And in other research, scientists found there are specific genes associated with better pancreatic cancer outcomes. STAT's Meghana Keshavan took an in-depth look at four key discoveries and what they mean for pancreatic cancer research — read here.

CT scans for chest pain don't improve outcomes

When patients go to the emergency room with complaints of chest pain, they usually get a CT scan of the arteries that deliver blood to the heart, or a cardiac stress test that measures heart function while they exercise. But new research suggests that this extra testing doesn't improve outcomes — and it also drives up costs. Researchers looked at data from 1,000 patients complaining of chest pain at emergency rooms across the country. Patients who underwent either a CT scan or a stress test fared no better than those who did not receive the extra testing, on measures including having a stent placed and having a heart attack in the next month. And patients who got the extra testing on average stayed in the hospital for an extra eight hours and accrued $500 more in costs. A simple battery of tests including an electrocardiogram and blood test, the researchers say, appears the best approach for these patients.

How can we better communicate science?

There’s a science to science communication — and this morning, researchers, journalists, and policymakers are getting together at a National Academy of Sciences conference to talk about the best ways to get the public interested in science, from genome editing to infectious diseases. On the agenda: Two talks from scientists who’ve studied what actually works when it comes to sharing scientific ideas with the public. Their projects focused specifically on promoting vaccines and communicating evidence to policymakers. You can find more info and watch the talks for free here.

Stem cell therapy doesn't ease circulation problems

A stem cell therapy doesn’t help people with a common circulatory condition walk better, researchers report in JAMA. Doctors had hoped that a drug designed to increase circulating stem cells in the blood would be an answer for patients with peripheral artery disease, a condition marked by narrow blood vessels that make it hard for enough blood to get to the limbs. Researchers ran a clinical trial with four groups: patients who got the drug alone, the drug along with exercise, exercise with a placebo, and a control group that received no therapy. Three months out, patients taking the drug weren’t able to walk any farther in a six-minute time frame. But exercise itself seemed to significantly improve the distance patients could walk.

What to read around the web today

§ Inside the solitary life of an Alzheimer's sufferer. Washington Post

§ Servicewomen describe impact of military's abortion policy. NPR

§ NIH institute directors stand firm on not renewing focused firearm research program. Science

More reads from STAT

§ He rails against the drug industry. But Trump is turning to its ranks to fill his administration. 

§ Tom Marsilje, a relentless advocate for cancer patients, dies at 45. 

§ Rare strain of gonorrhea identified in Canada, compounding fears of drug resistance. 

The latest from STAT Plus

§ Is the FDA approving drugs faster than ever? No, as the data show.

§ FDA urged to ban a blood pressure medication with troubling side effects. 

Thanks for reading! More tomorrow,