Trending News: Call for Increased Awareness, Education of Fulminant Myocarditis Among Health Providers

A new study has called for increased awareness and education of fulminant myocarditis (FM) among health providers, according to The American Journal of Managed Care. FM, a rapidly developing rare condition that induces severe inflammation of the heart, can lead to a high risk of death caused by cardiogenic shock, fatal arrhythmias, irregular heartbeat, and multi-organ failure. In their scientific statement, the research team detailed the resources necessary to manage the spectrum of FM, including extracorporeal life support, percutaneous and durable ventricular assist devices, and specialists in advanced heart failure, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac pathology, and immunology.

The use of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in children is associated with a significant increase in risk of blood clots compared with central venues catheters (CVCs), according to MD Magazine. A multicenter cohort study of more than 1900 newly placed PICCs and tunneled line(s) indicated children between 6 months and 18 years of age were 8.5 times more likely to develop venous thromboembolism if they received a PICC compared with a tunneled line. Investigators noted the most common type of tunneled line during the study was a port-a-cath and the most common placement for tunneled lines were the internal jugular vein and subclavian vein.

A medical care coordination (MCC) program has been found to be a cost-effective way to address the medical and psychosocial needs of patients with HIV, according to Contagion Live. The study evaluated the impact and cost-effectiveness of the MCC program, finding that life expectancy increased from 10.07 to 10.94 quality-adjusted life-years, whereas lifetime medical costs increased from $311,300 to $335,100. At 2 years, viral suppression was 57% and retention in care was 72%, compared with 33% and 59%, respectively, for patients with no MCC. Further efforts to expand MCC programs to address the needs of patients with HIV are underway.