Healthcare Safety Index December 2015

Here are noteworthy healthcare issues that have appeared in the news and medical journals throughout the last 30 days or so:

An article appearing in Pediatric Infectious Diseases concluded that it is reasonable to allow children treated with amoxicillin by 5:00 pm to attend school the next morning after diagnosed with streptococcal pharyngitis. Heretofore, a 24 hour wait-time following antibiotic treatment was the standard protocol.

New guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have been issued by the American College of Rheumatology which update and expand recommendations published in 2012.

The American Heart Association published updated guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.

The US Preventive Services Task Force issued new recommendations for diabetes screening. Previously, the USPSTF recommended screening for diabetes in adults with hypertension, but now screening is recommended as part of a patient’s cardiovascular risk assessment in patients between 40 and 70 years old who have a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m.