Category Health

CDC Opioid Guidelines for Severe Pain

04/09/2019 Health  No comments

CDC Guidelines for severe pain

TUESDAY, April 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — CDC opioid guidelines were recently clarified to indicate that people with severe pain from cancer or sickle cell anemia should not be denied coverage for opioid painkillers.

In the wake of the national opioid epidemic, various medical societies had encouraged doctors to rein in prescriptions for the powerful painkillers.

In 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published guidelines that said for most patients seen by primary care doctors, opioids should be a last resort.

But there has been an unintended consequence: Some insurers have refused to pay for prescriptions for patients with cancer or sickle cell anemia, or for cancer survivors with complicated chronic pain conditions.

The new clarific...

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E. Coli Outbreak Probed by the CDC

04/05/2019 Health  No comments

E. Coli Bacteria

By EJ MundellHealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, April 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An E. Coli outbreak is being investigated by US health officials; victims are showing a gastrointestinal illness that’s already affected 72 people across five Eastern states. The origin of the foodborne illnesses remains unknown, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Friday.”The E. Coli outbreak investigation is still ongoing and a specific food item, grocery store, or restaurant chain has not been identified as the source of infections,” the CDC said in a statement.

States affected by the E. Coli outbreak are Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. Cases of illness first began to be reported March 2, and the last reported case occurred March 29...

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