Healio Minute Monday, Jan. 20, 2014 Edition: Pneumonia treatment slow to change, universal coverage may aid BP control, CDC alerts providers to consider H5N1

What just happened in medicine and why do you care?

Guideline adoption slow for community-acquired pneumonia

Healio.com/Pediatrics: Eighteen months later, most patients still did not receive ampicillin or amoxicillin, and use of cephalosporins and macrolides remained substantial though was decreasing significantly. Read more.

Universal health coverage may reduce imbalances in hypertension management

Healio.com/Cardiology: Findings suggest disparities in hypertension control may be more closely linked to health system structure, notably access to care through insurance. Read more.

CDC alerts providers to consider H5N1 in severe respiratory disease with recent exposure

Healio.com/Infectious Disease: Advisory comes after first confirmed case of H5N1 in North America, in a patient who died on Jan. 3 after travel to Beijing. Read more.

FDA warns of wart removers catching fire

Healio.com/Dermatology: Dispensers generally caught fire when the pressurized canister’s mixture of liquid dimethyl ether and propane was released while users applied it to the warts. Read more.

Nonmedical exemptions from school vaccinations in some states linked to higher pertussis

Healio.com/Infectious Disease: Findings show rates for hepatitis B, Hib, measles and mumps were not related to state NME law restrictiveness, but more restrictive state NME laws were significantly and inversely associated with pertussis incidence rates. Read more.