IHA Daily Briefing: Feb. 7
In Today’s Issue
Report Finds Frameworks for Respectful Maternity Care
REGISTER: What Are Illinois Lawmakers’ Health Priorities?
CDC Lab Recommendations for Syphilis Testing
Behavioral, Mental Health Services for Black Adults, Children
Recalls: Chest Drain, Surgical Guidance System, Supplements
COVID-19 Information
Briefly Noted
Report Finds Frameworks for Respectful Maternity Care
Respectful maternity care is a well-described, rational approach for improving person-centered and equitable intrapartum and postpartum care, but it lacks a standard definition and clear measurement method, according to a new evidence review from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Researchers reviewed existing literature for definitions and valid measurements of respectful maternity care, its effectiveness in improving maternal and infant health outcomes, and strategies for implementation. They found that tools to measure respectful maternity care demonstrate consistency but lack a gold standard, requiring further evaluation before implementation in U.S. settings. This work is important because severe maternal morbidity and mortality is worse in the U.S. than in all comparable countries, with the greatest impact on Black women. Access the evidence review and the abstract to an associated article in Annals of Internal Medicine.
REGISTER: What Are Illinois Lawmakers’ Health Priorities?
Legislative leaders will preview what they see as the top health issues this session at a Feb. 21 Health News Illinois breakfast panel in Springfield. Panelists include Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton), Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) and Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford).
The event will take place at Arlington’s, 210 Broadway in Springfield, on Feb. 21 from 7:30-9 a.m. The program will begin at 8 a.m. Click here to register.
CDC Lab Recommendations for Syphilis Testing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its first comprehensive recommendations on laboratory recommendations for syphilis testing in response to the syphilis epidemic occurring in the U.S. The CDC said there have been sustained increases in primary and secondary syphilis, increasing from 5,979 cases reported in 2000 to 133,945 cases reported in 2020—a 2,140% increase.
The recommendations are intended for use by clinical laboratory directors, laboratory staff, clinicians, and disease control personnel who must choose among the multiple available testing methods, establish standard operating procedures for collecting and processing specimens, interpret test results for laboratory reporting, and counsel and treat patients. This report details CDC’s new recommendations for syphilis testing, including laboratory-based tests, point-of-care tests, processing of samples, and reporting of test results to aid laboratorians and clinicians in the diagnosis of syphilis.
Behavioral, Mental Health Services for Black Adults, Children
A fact sheet developed by the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities National Training Center provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by Black and African American individuals with disabilities when seeking mental health services. The resource document addresses the distinct issues in access and quality of care, offering practical recommendations for healthcare professionals to enhance mental health services and reduce disparities within Black and African American communities.
The African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence has also created a fact sheet, which details the impact of history on African Americans and their experiences of disparities within the behavioral health field. It highlights the historical burdens of trauma, losses and betrayal, and offers modern approaches to reduce the disparity gap and foster trust within Black communities.
Recalls: Chest Drain, Surgical Guidance System, Supplements
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified the recall of the Atrium Express Dry Suction Dry Seal Chest Drain as a Class I recall, noting use of these devices may cause serious injury or death. The FDA said that if the drain is knocked over water could leak, potentially exposing a patient to an infectious pathogen. There have been no reports of injury of death related to this recall.
Another recall recently issued by the FDA cited a calibration process error associated with the ExcelsiusGPS Flat Panel Fluoroscopy Fixture that may affect the accuracy of implant placement. This loss of navigation integrity may cause implants or instruments to be misplaced. There have been two reported injuries and no reports of death.
The FDA has also highlighted two voluntary recalls of several dietary supplements marketed for male sexual enhancement that the agency says contain undeclared drug ingredients, which makes them unapproved new drugs for which the safety and efficacy have not been established. Today the World recalled two lots of Sustain herbal dietary supplement capsules and one lot of Schwinnng capsules. Today the World has also recalled one lot of Arize Herbal Dietary Supplement capsules, due to the presence of Nortadalafil in Arize which also makes this an unapproved new drug for which the safety and efficacy has not been established and therefore subject to recall.
COVID-19 Information
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) has launched a weekly Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard that will be updated weekly on Friday. This report provides the public with the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data.
Click here to visit the IDPH COVID-19 resources webpage. IDPH will continue to report the weekly number of people with COVID-19 admitted to hospitals from emergency departments, deaths and vaccinations, with COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information also reported through the dashboard of the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System.
Briefly Noted
A recent study to explore the benefits of collaborative care in hospitals determined that a collaborative care approach was associated with statistically significant improvements in two key areas. Measuring length of stay, readmission rates and discharge time of day, study authors found that the collaborative care initiative resulted in a 9% decrease in the expected length of stay and a 27% increase in the likelihood of early discharge (before 2 p.m.). Medium reported that study authors said this was the first study to analyze the benefits of a collaborative care model in a hospital setting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a listeria outbreak in 11 states has been linked to recalled dairy products. As of yesterday, the CDC said the outbreak has led to 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations and two deaths. No related illnesses, hospitalizations or deaths have been reported in Illinois at this time.