In August 2021, the medical device manufacturer Cardinal Health recalled approximately 267 million of their prefilled saline syringes. The syringes had been found to reintroduce air into the syringe after it had been expelled, which could have resulted in the injection of air into blood vessels, leading to serious injury or death.
COVID-19 Outbreak During Army Training Exercise Offers Prevention Lessons
Extreme weather during a field training exercise forced more than 100 Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers to shelter closely together last year and led to an extensive outbreak of COVID-19.
Older Black, Hispanic Veterans Much More Likely to Get Dementia Diagnosis
The incidence of dementia varies significantly by race and ethnicity among older adults receiving care at VHA medical centers, according to a new study. Why that occurs was not immediately clear, however.
Study Finds Alarmingly High Suicide Rates Among AI/AN VHA Patients
American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in the general population have the highest rates of suicide of all race groups in the United States, as well as the most rapidly growing suicide rates, according to a new study.
Repeat Lung-Cancer Screening Continues to Fall Behind for Rural Veterans
Repeat lung cancer screening lags among rural veterans and could help explain known disparities in outcomes, according to a new study.
Public Health Service Bill Seeks to Put Pandemic Lessons to Use
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently marked up the PREVENT Pandemics Act—a bipartisan piece of legislation combining ideas from over 37 different bills and dozens of legislators.
Mortality Is Higher Than Expected in Post-9/11 Veterans With TBI
In the 20th century, military servicemembers were found to be healthier than the average individual, with lower mortality rates than their U.S. civilian counterparts.
VA Studies Find Older Patients Unexpectedly Amenable to Deprescribing
Clinicians are often wary of suggesting that older patients discontinue some of their medications, believing they will get pushback.
New Line of USP <800> Labels Can Help Assure Staff, Patient Safety
Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals understand the importance of clearly identifying medications requiring special handling, such as those covered by USP <800> and that the safety of staff and patients is at stake.
AMA-Negative Cholangitis Patients Have Similar Outcomes
Patients diagnosed with antimitochondrial antibody (AMA)-negative primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have clinical and histopathological findings consistent with PBC but without positive AMA.
Deployment Increases Alcohol Misuse Risk Among National Guard, Reservists
Active-duty servicemembers face well known and quantified risk for alcohol misuse. Consequently, many return from combat to military bases, where they receive screening and have ready access to behavioral health.
Why Diabetes Patients With NAFLD Have Higher HCC Risk
While it is recognized that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease who also have Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) have a high risk of progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. Exactly what causes the higher risks remain unclear, however, according to a new study.
Biomarkers Signal Risks for HCC in Cirrhosis Patients
For a patient with cirrhosis, the five-year risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a highly lethal cancer with a significant increasing incidence and mortality, might be as high as 30%.
Gout Associated With Slightly Decreased Risk of Glaucoma in Veterans
How does a history of gout or arthritis due to hyperuricemia affect the development of the ocular neurodegenerative condition glaucoma?
Are DoD’s Suicide Prevention Efforts Failing? Some Legislators Think So
When it comes to suicide prevention, is the DoD putting its time and money in the right place? That was the question asked at a recent House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing.
In-Hospital Weight Loss Signals Improved Clinical Outcomes in HF Patients
Nearly all patients hospitalized for acute heart failure are acutely congested due to fluid retention and have gained weight by the time of their admission.
VA’s Prescribing of Direct-Acting Oral Anticoagulants Often Guideline Discordant
Since they were first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010, direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have become the most commonly-prescribed anticoagulants for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) due to their predictable pharmacokinetics, few drug-drug interactions and low monitoring requirements.
Recovered COVID-19 Patients Have Much Greater Risk of Incident Diabetes
While it has been obvious for some time that the COVID-19 pandemic would create longer-term health effects, it is only now becoming clearer what some of those might be.
Military, Veterans More Likely to Be Screened for Many Types of Cancer
While some cancer diagnoses are disproportionately high among VA patients, the cause does not appear to be inadequate screening, according to a new study.
Biden Underscores Commitment to Veterans Who Had Toxic Exposures
During the State of the Union address, President Joe Biden shined a light, as he has many times in the past, on the effects of toxic exposure, declaring that he would continue to make it a priority of his administration.
VA Study Finds That Reduced Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction Can Affect Beta-Blocker Effectiveness in Some HFrEF Patients but Not Others
Beta blockers have been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a complex syndrome characterized by impairment of the left ventricle resulting in a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
Prevalence of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Might Be Lower Than Suspected
A clear definition of the frequency of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection is important for studies estimating the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as for public health measures to control the spread of this virus and its variants.
New Mothers at MHS Facilities Less Likely to Use Opioids
MHS patients are less likely to fill a prescription for opioids after delivery of a child than those receiving care from civilian facilities.
Beyond SPRINT: Drug Regimen, Systolic Blood Pressure Affect CVD
The landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) quickly changed the standard treatment of patients at high cardiovascular risk in the U.S.
VHA Offers Inconsistent Benzodiazepine Dosing for AWS
Hospitalized patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) —which is not uncommon—often have increased intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay, more hospital-acquired infections or sepsis and higher in-hospital mortality.
SUD Treatment Linked to Lower VHA COVID-19 Mortality
The risk for hospitalization from COVID-19 is elevated for patients with substance use disorders (SUD), but the link between SUDs and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 isn’t as clear.
Cardiologist Brings Novel Cardiac Mapping Technology to DCVAMC
Shortly after Christmas, while the hospital was bracing for the tidal wave that would be omicron, the DCVAMC made history, becoming the first VA in the nation to use new cardiac mapping technology to perform a cardiac ablation procedure.
Monitor Cancer Survivors for Thyroid Disorders
Patients who survive cancer often face second malignant neoplasms (SMN), which are among their most serious long-term adverse health conditions.
Study Finds Disparities in VA Prostate Cancer Care
African-American men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, but it remains unclear whether racial and ethnic disparities occur in equal-access settings at the national level.
Opioid Safety Initiative Affected Cancer Pain Control
How has pain management for cancer patients been affected by the opioid epidemic and related risk reduction policies?
