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The 2024 U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (U.S. MEC) comprises recommendations for the use of specific contraceptive methods by persons who have certain characteristics or medical conditions. These recommendations for health care providers were updated by CDC after review of the scientific evidence and a meeting with national experts in Atlanta, Georgia, during January 25-27, 2023. The information in this report replaces the 2016 U.S. MEC (CDC. U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, 2016. MMWR 2016:65[No. RR-3]:1-103). Notable updates include 1) the addition of recommendations for persons with chronic kidney disease; 2) revisions to the recommendations for persons with certain characteristics or medical conditions (i.e., breastfeeding, postpartum, postabortion, obesity, surgery, deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism with or without anticoagulant therapy, thrombophilia, superficial venous thrombosis, valvular heart disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy, systemic lupus erythematosus, high risk for HIV infection, cirrhosis, liver tumor, sickle cell disease, solid organ transplantation, and drug interactions with antiretrovirals used for prevention or treatment of HIV infection); and 3) inclusion of new contraceptive methods, including new doses or formulations of combined oral contraceptives, contraceptive patches, vaginal rings, progestin-only pills, levonorgestrel intrauterine devices, and vaginal pH modulator. The recommendations in this report are intended to serve as a source of evidence-based clinical practice guidance for health care providers. The goals of these recommendations are to remove unnecessary medical barriers to accessing and using contraception and to support the provision of person-centered contraceptive counseling and services in a noncoercive manner. Health care providers should always consider the individual clinical circumstances of each person seeking contraceptive services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice for individual patients; when needed, patients should seek advice from their health care providers about contraceptive use., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed. To promote transparency, all meeting participants were asked to disclose potential conflicts of interest to CDC before the expert meeting and to report potential conflicts of interest during the introductory portion of the expert meeting. All potential conflicts of interest disclosed by meeting participants are listed. No participants were excluded from discussion based on potential conflicts of interest. CDC staff members who ultimately decided and developed these recommendations have no financial interests or other relationships with the manufacturers of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services, or commercial supporters relevant to these recommendations.

There is a limited supply of organs for all those who need them for survival. Thus, careful decisions must be made about who is listed for transplant. Studies show that manifesting genetic disease can impact listing eligibility. What has not yet been studied is the impact genetic risks for future disease have on a patient's chance to be listed. Surveys were emailed to 163 pediatric liver, heart, and kidney transplant programs across the United States to elicit views and experiences of key clinicians regarding each program's use of genetic risks (ie, predispositions, positive predictive testing) in listing decisions. Response rate was 42%. Sixty‐four percent of programs have required genetic testing for specific indications prior to listing decisions. Sixteen percent have required it without specific indications, suggesting that genetic testing may be used to screen candidates. Six percent have chosen not to list patients with secondary findings or family histories of genetic conditions. In hypothetical scenarios, programs consider cancer predispositions and adult‐onset neurological conditions to be relative contraindications to listing (61%, 17%, and 8% depending on scenario), and some consider them absolute contraindications (5% and 3% depending on scenario). Only 3% of programs have formal policies for these scenarios, but all consult genetic specialists at least "sometimes" for results interpretation. Our study reveals that pediatric transplant programs are using future onset genetic risks in listing decisions. As genetic testing is increasingly adopted into pediatric medicine, further study is needed to prevent possible inappropriate use of genetic information from impacting listing eligibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity is becoming more prevalent in the United States (US) and worldwide, including among children in need of a liver transplant. Unlike with heart and kidney failure, end-stage liver disease (ESLD) is unique in that no widely available medical technology can re-create the life-sustaining function of a failing liver. Therefore, delaying a life-saving liver transplant for weight loss, for example, is much harder, if not impossible for many pediatric patients, especially those with acute liver failure. For adults in the United States, guidelines consider obesity a contraindication to liver transplant. Although formal guidelines are lacking in children, many pediatric transplant centers also consider obesity a contraindication to a pediatric liver transplant. Variations in practice among pediatric institutions may result in biased and ad hoc decisions that worsen healthcare inequities. In this article, we define and report the prevalence of childhood obesity among children with ESLD, review existing guidelines for liver transplant in adults with obesity, examine pediatric liver transplant outcomes, and discuss the ethical considerations of using obesity as a contraindication to pediatric liver transplant informed by the principles of utility, justice, and respect for persons., (Copyright © 2023 American Society of Transplantation & American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Telehealth has the potential to increase contraceptive access. Little is known about the characteristics of people using online prescribing platforms or whether these services help fill access gaps., Methods: We analyzed requests for contraception submitted between July 2015 and September 2017 to an online prescribing platform that offers sexual and reproductive care in the United States. We analyzed the characteristics of people seeking contraceptives, prevalence of contraindications to hormonal contraception among contraceptive seekers, and extent to which online prescribing may close contraceptive access gaps., Results: A total of 38,439 requests for prescription hormonal birth control were received during the study period, with requests increasing dramatically over this timeframe as the platform expanded operations to an increasing number of states. Methods were dispensed in response to 63% of requests. In this population seeking contraception, an estimated 1.2% had a contraindication to progestin-only pills, and an estimated 12.0% of patients who reported their blood pressure had a contraindication to combined hormonal methods. Few requests came from patients younger than 18 (1.2%). In multivariable negative binomial models, urban counties had a larger concentration of requests, whereas counties with higher rates of uninsurance and poverty had lower rates of requests., Conclusions: Results suggest that the population seeking contraception from one online prescribing platform has similar levels of contraindications to hormonal contraceptives as found in prior research. Future research should seek to understand why utilization of this online prescribing platform was lower among young people, how to expand outreach to rural populations, and what underlies individuals' decisions about using these services., (Copyright © 2022 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, George Washington University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: In the United States, racial disparities in kidney transplantation are large and especially stark for living donor transplants. Medical researchers frequently attribute this to the availability of medically compatible living kidney donors, who are usually kin. This paper evaluates this hypothesis by testing whether African American transplant candidates likely have lesser access to suitable living donors in their kinship networks than white candidates. This paper evaluates this hypothesis using a simulation design. Contrary to prior research on this topic, this simulation analysis concludes that black-white disparities in living donor kidney transplantation are unlikely to be the result of group differences in the availability of suitable donors. Although individual white kin are individually more likely to be suitable donors, African Americans' larger average kinship networks compensate for this difference. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: We sought to investigate the prevalence of triptan use among patients with migraine who have contraindications to triptan usage, and to explore specifics of the medication prescribed, dosage, and route of administration., Background: Triptan medications are a mainstay of acute migraine therapy, but little is known about prevalence and patterns of triptan prescribing among patients with contraindications in the United States., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from the IBM Marketscan database to identify patients aged ≥ 18 years with migraine from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2017, using International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification 10 codes. Contraindications to triptan medications were identified by review of package labels as listed on the US Food and Drug Administration website. Triptan medications were identified from the IBM Micromedex Redbook linked to prescription claims along with route of administration and dosage., Results: Of 1,038,472 individuals diagnosed with migraine, 400,112 (38.5%) were prescribed triptan medication, and of those who were prescribed a triptan, 55,707 (13.9%) had at least one contraindication, with the most common contraindication being cardiac arrhythmia (33,696/400,112 individuals, 8.4%) followed by cerebrovascular disease (14,787/400,112, 3.7%) and coronary artery disease (10,236/400,112, 2.6%). Sumatriptan was the most prescribed triptan (261,736/1,038,472, 25.2%), and the subcutaneous and intranasal routes were more commonly prescribed among those with contraindications compared with those without contraindications., Discussion: A substantial proportion of patients with migraine with contraindications were prescribed triptan medications. These findings call for further research on the outcomes of patients with medical contraindications who are prescribed triptan medications, and for greater clarity in prescribing guidelines about the optimal approach for acute therapy among patients with migraine., (© 2022 American Headache Society.)

Abstract: Background: Progestin-only oral contraceptive pills (POPs) have fewer contraindications to use compared to combined pills. However, the overall prevalence of contraindications to POPs among reproductive-aged women has not been assessed. Study Design: We collected information on contraindications to POPs in two studies: (1) the Self-Screening Study, a sample of 1267 reproductive-aged women in the general population in El Paso, TX, and (2) the Prospective Study of OC Users, a sample of current oral contraceptive (OC) users who obtained their pills in El Paso clinics (n=532) or over the counter (OTC) in Mexican pharmacies (n=514). In the Self-Screening Study, we also compared women''s self-assessment of contraindications using a checklist to a clinician''s evaluation. Results: Only 1.6% of women in the Self-Screening Study were identified as having at least one contraindication to POPs. The sensitivity of the checklist for identifying women with at least one contraindication was 75.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 50.6%–90.4%], and the specificity was 99.4% (95% CI: 98.8%–99.7%). In total, 0.6% of women in the Prospective Study of OC Users reported having any contraindication to POPs. There were no significant differences between clinic and OTC users. Conclusion: The prevalence of contraindications to POPs was very low in these samples. POPs may be the best choice for the first OTC oral contraceptive in the United States. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Communication of a drug’s benefits and risks through drug labelling is an important tool in the risk management of prescription drugs. Contraindication labelling provides the strongest safety-based guidance for the health care practitioner. In this study, the labelling of new contraindications between the United States (US) and Germany was compared. We assessed whether contraindications that were newly labelled in the US between January 2003 and May 2005 had been incorporated into the German Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) by October 2005 (end of the study period). We classified the results of our comparison as no difference, a slight difference (more detailed contraindication in one country or the other) or as a relevant difference (new US contraindication not contraindicated in the German SPC). We assessed the time difference between the date of the labelling change in the US and October 2005. During the study period, 66 new contraindications were evaluable for analysis. We found no difference in labelling between the US and Germany with regard to 30 contraindications (45.5%) and slight differences with regard to 14 contraindications (21.2%). In 22 instances (33.3%), the new contraindication in the US had not been incorporated into the German SPC. The median delay between the date of labelling in the US and October 2005 was 14 months and ranged between 5 and 31 months. In 77.3% of the relevant differences in contraindication labelling, the pharmaceutical manufacturer was the same in the US and Germany. Our study shows a remarkable discrepancy in the labelling of new contraindications between the US and Germany. The underlying reasons for this discrepancy were discussed, but need to be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the target therapy for annual influenza virus vaccination in the U.S. Information on the adverse effects of and contraindications to the influenza vaccine; Co-administration of the influenza vaccine; Evidence of the efficacy and effectiveness of the influenza vaccination.

Objective: Medical contraindications to estrogen limit women's contraceptive options. This study assessed the association between selected medical contraindications to estrogen on contraceptive use and examined whether contraindications serve as a barrier to the prevention of unintended pregnancy. Materials and Methods: We analyzed women aged 18-44 at risk of unintended pregnancy participating in the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Survey questions queried women regarding contraceptive use and contraindications to estrogen use. We assessed the most recently used contraceptive method and compared the odds of women using each category of contraception (no methods, less effective methods, pill/patch/ring, injection, intrauterine device, implant, permanent contraception) between those with and without potential contraindications to estrogen using multinomial logistic regression models. Results: This study included 32,098 women, of whom 16% had one or more potential contraindications to estrogen. There were significant differences in contraceptive choice by potential contraindication status ( p  < 0.01). Fifteen percent of women with potential contraindications reported using estrogen-containing methods (pill, patch, or ring) compared with 20% of women with no potential contraindication. Women with potential contraindications to estrogen more frequently used permanent contraception (odds ratio [OR] vs. pill/patch/ring: 1.48 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.88) or no contraceptive method (OR vs. pill/patch/ring: 1.37 95% CI: 1.07-1.75) after adjustment for race, age, marital status, and income. Conclusions: Potential medical contraindications to estrogen are associated with permanent contraception and the use of no contraception. These results portray a complicated relationship but could suggest a lack of access to other contraceptive options.

Purpose of Review: The aim of this review is to provide a critical analysis of liver transplantation for alcoholic hepatitis, with an emphasis on barriers to long-term success in current implementation strategies across the United States., Recent Findings: Alcohol-associated liver disease is the most rapidly increasing indication for liver transplantation in the USA. Its most severe form, acute alcoholic hepatitis, has a rising incidence particularly in the young, and is associated with a high mortality risk. Although excellent outcomes following liver transplantation for alcoholic hepatitis can be achieved, several barriers limit its routine use. These constraints include risk of allograft dysfunction, the recognition of alcohol use disorder as a multisystem disease and ethical considerations., Summary: Although liver transplantation is an important option in a carefully selected group of candidates, it should not be considered the standard of care in this condition. Consistency, transparency and consensus are necessary to formulate and implement policy changes at the national level. Following liver transplantation, wraparound services are important for relapse prevention, and to ensure long-term success and survival in this challenging group of patients., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The labeling of statins has been revised to remove the contraindication for use during pregnancy.For a select few women at high risk for cardiovascular events, statins may provide more benefit than risk, even during pregnancy. Most women do not have this high risk, however, and should still avoid statins during pregnancy., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: The therapeutic landscape for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) has recently expanded with the development of effective and targeted immunotherapy. Here, we provide an overview of the role of immunotherapy in the management of advanced cutaneous carcinomas., Recent Findings: Several agents were recently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. However, recent approvals in tissue-agnostic indications may also benefit other NMSCs including cutaneous adnexal solid tumors with high tumor mutation burdens or microsatellite instability. Furthermore, while FDA-approved indications will likely continue to expand, continued studies are needed to support the role of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and refractory settings. Immunotherapy is emerging as the standard of care for several advanced NMSCs not amenable to surgery and radiation. Ongoing evaluation of the clinical trial landscape is needed to optimize enrollment and ensure continued innovation., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background/aim: Melanoma incidence has increased in the United States over the past few decades, and disparities in patient treatment have been described. Although most patients with melanoma are good candidates for curative treatment, some are considered poor candidates for treatment because of comorbid conditions. We examined whether patient demographics influence treatment contraindication in melanoma., Patients and Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to identify patients with melanoma from 2004 through 2015. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine independent associations, adjusted for confounders. We excluded patients who did not receive treatment for reasons and patients with unknown treatment status., Results: A total of 499,092 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 525 (0.1%) had Treatment contraindicated because of comorbid conditions (TCBC) and 498,567 (99.9%) received treatment. Multivariate logistic regression showed higher odds of TCBC in patients with government insurance (OR=1.34, 95%CI=03-1.73; p=0.03) and patients without insurance (OR=2.75, 95%CI=1.76-4.29; p<0.001) than patients with private insurance., Conclusion: Demographic disparities affects treatment decision in oncological patients. Our study demonstrated a significantly higher likelihood of "nontreatment because of comorbid conditions" among melanoma patients with government insurance or without insurance. Greater efforts are needed to address inequalities in melanoma treatment in the United States., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

SHEA endorses adhering to the recommendations by the CDC and ACIP for immunizations of all children and adults. All persons providing clinical care should be familiar with these recommendations and should routinely assess immunization compliance of their patients and strongly recommend all routine immunizations to patients. All healthcare personnel (HCP) should be immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases as recommended by the CDC/ACIP (unless immunity is demonstrated by another recommended method). SHEA endorses the policy that immunization should be a condition of employment or functioning (students, contract workers, volunteers, etc) at a healthcare facility. Only recognized medical contraindications should be accepted for not receiving recommended immunizations.

Immunization action coalition (IAC) provides a checklist that occupational health nurses use to screen for vaccine contraindications to identify and prevent possible adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This statement updates the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for the routine use of influenza vaccines and antiviral medications in the prevention and treatment of influenza in children during the 2019-2020 season. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend routine influenza immunization of all children without medical contraindications, starting at 6 months of age. Any licensed, recommended, age-appropriate vaccine available can be administered, without preference of one product or formulation over another. Antiviral treatment of influenza with any licensed, recommended, age-appropriate influenza antiviral medication continues to be recommended for children with suspected or confirmed influenza, particularly those who are hospitalized, have severe or progressive disease, or have underlying conditions that increase their risk of complications of influenza., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Introduction: In 2016, 2.1 million people in the United States were estimated to have an opioid use disorder. Although the disorder can be safely and effectively treated with prescription methadone, treatment is potentially long term and may span women's peak childbearing ages. Little is known about women's reproductive health needs while on methadone., Methods: We interviewed 22 sexually active, nonpregnant women ages 21-39 years at two Los Angeles methadone clinics in 2016. The interviews were transcribed and coded by four researchers using thematic and open coding techniques., Results: One-half of the women were nulliparous and 17 were in stable, monogamous relationships with men. Women reported a range of feelings and perceptions about pregnancy, but nearly all wanted to delay pregnancy until discontinuing methadone. However, many women indicated limited interest in preventing pregnancy because of the relative stability of their relationships, fear of infertility, and low perceived risk of pregnancy. These factors influenced contraceptive use., Discussion: Women described mixed feelings about pregnancy and many ultimately felt that an unplanned pregnancy would be acceptable in the context of their relationships and uncertain fertility. These findings provide context for previous quantitative findings that women in methadone treatment have higher rates of unintended pregnancy and lower rates of contraceptive use than the general population., Conclusions: Accurate information about pregnancy in the context of methadone treatment may help women to make proactive family planning decisions. Health care providers should discuss the guidelines for pregnancy on methadone and offer a range of options to help women achieve their reproductive goals., (Copyright © 2018 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective Diabetes mellitus is common in US nursing homes (NHs), and the mainstay treatment, metformin, has US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) boxed warnings indicating safety concerns in those with advanced age, heart failure, or renal disease. Little is known about treatment selection in this setting, especially for metformin. We quantified the determinants of initiating sulfonylureas over metformin with the aim of understanding the impact of FDA-labeled boxed warnings in older NH residents. Design and setting National retrospective cohort in US NHs. Participants Long-stay NH residents age ≥65 years who initiated metformin or sulfonylurea monotherapy following a period of ≥6 months with no glucose-lowering treatment use between 2008 and 2010 (n = 7295). Measurements Measures of patient characteristics were obtained from linked national Minimum Data Set assessments; Online Survey, Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) records; and Medicare claims. Odds ratios (ORs) comparing patient characteristics and treatment initiation were estimated using univariable and multivariable multilevel logistic regression models with NH random intercepts. Results Of the 7295 residents in the study population, 3066 (42%) initiated metformin and 4229 (58%) initiated a sulfonylurea. In multivariable analysis, several factors were associated with sulfonylurea initiation over metformin initiation, including heart failure (odds ratio [OR] 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–1.4) and renal disease (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.7–2.5). Compared with those aged 65 to <75 years, residents 75 to <85 (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.5), 85 to <95 (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7–2.3), and ≥95 (OR 4.3, 95% CI 3.2–5.8) years were more likely to initiate sulfonylureas over metformin. Conclusions In response to FDA warnings, providers initiated NH residents on a drug class with a known, common adverse event (hypoglycemia with sulfonylureas) over one with tenuous evidence of a rare adverse event (lactic acidosis with metformin). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Review current practices and expert opinions on contraindications to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and contraindications to repair of CDH following initiation of ECMO., Methods: Modified Delphi method was employed to achieve consensus among members of the American Pediatric Surgical Association Critical Care Committee (APSA-CCC)., Results: Overall response rate was 81% including current and former members of the APSA-CCC. An average of 5-15 CDH repairs were reported annually per institution; 26-50% of patients required ECMO. 100% of respondents would not offer ECMO to a patient with a complex or unrepairable cardiac defects or lethal chromosomal abnormality; 94.1% would not in the setting of severe intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). 76.5% and 72.2% of respondents would not offer CDH repair to patients on ECMO with grade III-IV ICH or new diagnosis of lethal genetic or metabolic abnormalities, respectively. There was significant variability in whether or not to repair CDH if unable to wean from ECMO at 4-5 weeks., Conclusions: Significant variability in practice pattern and opinions exist regarding contraindications to ECMO and when to offer repair of CDH for patients on ECMO. Ongoing work to evaluate outcomes is needed to standardize management and minimize potentially futile interventions., Level of Evidence: V (expert opinion).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of two red flag protocols in detecting ear diseases associated with changes in hearing., Design: The presence of red-flag symptoms was determined in a chart review of 307 adult patients from the Mayo Clinic Florida Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Audiology. Participants formed a convenience sample recruited for a separate study. Neurotologist diagnosis was the criterion for comparisons., Results: Of the 251 patient files retained for analysis, 191 had one or more targeted diseases and 60 had age- or noise-related hearing loss. Food and Drug Administration red flags sensitivity was 91% (confidence interval [CI], 86 to 95%) and specificity was 72% (CI, 59 to 83%). American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery red flags sensitivity was 98% (CI, 95 to 99%) and specificity was 20% (CI, 11 to 32%)., Conclusions: Stakeholders must determine which diseases are meaningful contraindications for hearing aid use and whether these red-flag protocols have acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity. As direct-to-consumer models of hearing devices increase, a disease detection method that does not require provider intercession would be useful.

In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration updated the contraindications for the use of alteplase in acute ischemic stroke (AIS), potentially creating a greater impact on treatment. A history of intracranial hemorrhage and recent stroke within 3 months were removed as contraindications, increasing the number of patients eligible for alteplase. The aim of this commentary is to call attention to the updates and discuss them relative to current American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines. Additionally, we estimate the clinical impact of the updates by analyzing AIS admissions to a large-volume Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Background: Despite widespread implementation, limited data exists relating morbidity or adverse outcomes to Car Seat Tolerance Screen (CSTS) result in preterm and low birth weight (LBW) neonates. The objective of this study was to determine longer term post-discharge outcomes of infants who failed a CSTS., Methods: We performed a case control study evaluating outcomes of infants born over one year who failed vs. passed an initial CSTS, utilizing both retrospective medical record review and parental survey data 2-3 years after discharge. Subjects were matched one case of failed CSTS to two controls who passed CSTS based on sex, gestational age, and BW. We performed bivariate analysis of clinical and demographic risk factors comparing those who passed vs. failed CSTS., Results: We identified 19 subjects who failed and matched to 37 controls. Cases were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (p = 0.027), asthma (p = 0.016), and be treated with albuterol (p = 0.008). We did not find differences in frequency of urgent care visits or hospital admissions between the groups. Although more of the cases were noted to have developmental delays, the difference was not statistically significant., Conclusion: This is the first study to evaluate longer term post-discharge outcomes of subjects having undergone CSTS. Subjects who failed CSTS had significantly increased incidence of respiratory diagnoses such as OSA and asthma than matched controls by 2-3 years after discharge. Larger studies are necessary to further evaluate these findings, but this does provide data that CSTS may be useful in identifying at risk neonates.

Alloplastic transvaginal meshes have become very popular in the surgery of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) as did alloplastic suburethral slings in female stress incontinence surgery, but without adequate supporting data. The simplicity of the mesh procedure facilitates its propagation with acceptance of higher revision and complication rates. Since attending physicians do more and more prolapse surgeries without practicing or teaching alternative techniques, expertise in these alternatives, which might be very useful in cases of recurrence, persistence or complications, is permanently lost. It is doubtful that proper and detailed information about alternatives, risks, and benefits of transvaginal alloplastic meshes is provided to every single prolapse patient according to the recommendations of the German POP guidelines, since the number of implanted meshes exceeds the number of properly indicated mesh candidates by far. Although there is no dissent internationally about the available mesh data, thousands of lawsuits in the USA, insolvency of companies due to claims for compensation and unambiguous warnings from foreign urological societies leave German urogynecologists still unimpressed. The existing literature in pelvic organ prolapse exclusively focusses on POP stage and improvement of that stage with surgical therapy. Instead, typical prolapse symptoms should trigger therapy and improvement of these symptoms should be the utmost treatment goal. It is strongly recommended for liability reasons to obtain specific written informed consent.

Objective: To quantify the population at risk of serious adverse reactions to replicating smallpox vaccine., Design and Sample: Conditions known or suspected to carry risk were identified via Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planning documents, other federal publications, and peer-reviewed literature. Conditions identified were categorized as historically recognized risks or more recently recognized immunocompromised states that may pose risk. Major historical risk factors were as follows: eczema/atopic dermatitis, pregnancy, HIV, and primary immunodeficiency. More recently identified states were as follows: rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, dialysis, bone marrow transplant recipients within 24 months post-transplant, solid-organ transplant recipients within 3 months post-transplant, age under 1 year, and systemic lupus erythematosus., Measures: The estimated prevalence or absolute number of affected individuals for each condition was ascertained from peer-reviewed studies, vital statistics, and registry databases., Results: An estimated 48,121,280 to 50,028,045 individuals (15.2-15.8% of the U.S. population) are potentially contraindicated to replicating smallpox vaccine. This rises to 119,244,531 to 123,669,327 (37.4-38.8%) if household contacts are included., Conclusions: These figures are significant and larger than the only previously published study. Understanding this number allows for improved clinical utilization, equitable attention to the health needs of a vulnerable population, and strategic vaccine stockpiling., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Despite the introduction of promising products into the contraceptive market, the rate of unintended pregnancies remains high. Women with underlying medical conditions should have access to safe and effective contraceptive methods for various reasons, including the potential deleterious effect of the disease on the pregnancy or the effect of the pregnancy on the disease process. Healthcare providers are often confronted with cases in which contraception counseling is problematic due to controversial evidence and persistent myths. This review will examine a number of medical conditions that often create contraception counseling challenges. It should in no way be considered as an extensive review of all contraceptive options for a given medical condition. The following topics will be explored: depression, immunosuppression, inflammatory bowel diseases, past bariatric surgery, liver diseases, family history of breast cancer, migraines, polycystic ovarian syndrome, perimenopausal state, and sickle cell disease. We advocate for improved information and accessibility to contraception as a means of decreasing the rate of unintended pregnancies.

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common problem that negatively impacts a woman's health-related quality of life and activity. Initial medical treatment includes hormonal and nonhormonal medications. If bleeding persists and no structural abnormalities are present, a repeat trial of medical therapy, a levonorgestrel intrauterine system, or an endometrial ablation can be used dependent on future fertility wishes. The levonorgestrel intrauterine system and endometrial ablation are effective, less invasive, and safe alternatives to a hysterectomy in women with AUB. A hysterectomy is the definitive treatment of AUB irrespective of the suspected cause when alternative treatments fail. Future studies should focus on detection of predictors for treatment outcomes., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This report updates the 2015-16 recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of seasonal influenza vaccines (Grohskopf LA, Sokolow LZ, Olsen SJ, Bresee JS, Broder KR, Karron RA. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2015-16 influenza season. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015;64:818-25). Routine annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months who do not have contraindications. For the 2016-17 influenza season, inactivated influenza vaccines (IIVs) will be available in both trivalent (IIV3) and quadrivalent (IIV4) formulations. Recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) will be available in a trivalent formulation (RIV3). In light of concerns regarding low effectiveness against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in the United States during the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons, for the 2016-17 season, ACIP makes the interim recommendation that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) should not be used. Vaccine virus strains included in the 2016-17 U.S. trivalent influenza vaccines will be an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus, an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus, and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus (Victoria lineage). Quadrivalent vaccines will include an additional influenza B virus strain, a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (Yamagata lineage).Recommendations for use of different vaccine types and specific populations are discussed. A licensed, age-appropriate vaccine should be used. No preferential recommendation is made for one influenza vaccine product over another for persons for whom more than one licensed, recommended product is otherwise appropriate. This information is intended for vaccination providers, immunization program personnel, and public health personnel. Information in this report reflects discussions during public meetings of ACIP held on October 21, 2015; February 24, 2016; and June 22, 2016. These recommendations apply to all licensed influenza vaccines used within Food and Drug Administration-licensed indications, including those licensed after the publication date of this report. Updates and other information are available at CDC's influenza website (http://www.cdc.gov/flu). Vaccination and health care providers should check CDC's influenza website periodically for additional information.

Importance: Primary care clinicians find managing chronic pain challenging. Evidence of long-term efficacy of opioids for chronic pain is limited. Opioid use is associated with serious risks, including opioid use disorder and overdose., Objective: To provide recommendations about opioid prescribing for primary care clinicians treating adult patients with chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care., Process: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated a 2014 systematic review on effectiveness and risks of opioids and conducted a supplemental review on benefits and harms, values and preferences, and costs. CDC used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework to assess evidence type and determine the recommendation category., Evidence Synthesis: Evidence consisted of observational studies or randomized clinical trials with notable limitations, characterized as low quality using GRADE methodology. Meta-analysis was not attempted due to the limited number of studies, variability in study designs and clinical heterogeneity, and methodological shortcomings of studies. No study evaluated long-term (≥1 year) benefit of opioids for chronic pain. Opioids were associated with increased risks, including opioid use disorder, overdose, and death, with dose-dependent effects., Recommendations: There are 12 recommendations. Of primary importance, nonopioid therapy is preferred for treatment of chronic pain. Opioids should be used only when benefits for pain and function are expected to outweigh risks. Before starting opioids, clinicians should establish treatment goals with patients and consider how opioids will be discontinued if benefits do not outweigh risks. When opioids are used, clinicians should prescribe the lowest effective dosage, carefully reassess benefits and risks when considering increasing dosage to 50 morphine milligram equivalents or more per day, and avoid concurrent opioids and benzodiazepines whenever possible. Clinicians should evaluate benefits and harms of continued opioid therapy with patients every 3 months or more frequently and review prescription drug monitoring program data, when available, for high-risk combinations or dosages. For patients with opioid use disorder, clinicians should offer or arrange evidence-based treatment, such as medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine or methadone., Conclusions and Relevance: The guideline is intended to improve communication about benefits and risks of opioids for chronic pain, improve safety and effectiveness of pain treatment, and reduce risks associated with long-term opioid therapy.

There are several well-established guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis. Guidelines have been proposed in the United States by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), in Europe by the European S3, in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and in Canada by the Canadian Dermatology Association. These guidelines are predominantly evidence-based, supported by expert panel consensus where evidence is lacking. Cyclosporine, a potent calcineurin inhibitor that acts selectively on T-cells, revolutionized the world of immunosuppression upon its discovery in 1970. Since its approval in 1997 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of psoriasis, cyclosporine has been used with great efficacy in the treatment of not only psoriasis but also a wide consortium of dermatological diseases. However, in the past decade or so, many dermatologists have become increasingly hesitant to use this important drug because of its potent toxicity profile. The purpose of this article is to review and compare the current evidence-based guideline recommendations for the use of cyclosporine in the treatment of psoriasis. Although the various guidelines are similar in their initial treatment recommendations, significant differences exist in recommendations on maximal treatment duration (1 year versus 2 years), intermittent short-term versus continuous therapy, use in erythrodermic and palmoplantar psoriasis, as well as recommendations on managing cyclosporine-associated side effects. By following guideline recommendations, cyclosporine remains an excellent and indispensable tool for the dermatologist treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released comprehensive recommendations for provision of family planning services. Contraceptive services may be addressed in five steps, and counseling may be provided in a tiered approach, whereby the most effective options are presented before less effective options. Clinicians should discuss all contraceptive methods that can be used safely by the patient, regardless of whether a method is available on site and even if the patient is an adolescent or a nulliparous woman. Physical assessment is usually limited to blood pressure evaluation before starting hormonal contraceptives or pelvic examination before placing an intrauterine device. Monitoring the patient's weight also may be helpful. If it is reasonably certain that the patient is not pregnant, any contraceptive may be started immediately. When hormonal contraceptives are selected, one year's supply should be prescribed to reduce barriers to use. Condoms should be made readily available. Documentation of visits for contraception should include patient understanding of use, benefits, and risks, plus an individualized follow-up plan. Bleeding irregularities generally are not harmful and may resolve with continued use of the contraceptive method. All patients-including adolescents; those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender; and patients with disabilities or limited English proficiency-should receive high-quality care in an accommodating, nonjudgmental environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports advance provision of emergency contraceptives. Because no test reliably verifies cessation of fertility, it is prudent to consider contraceptive use until menopause, or at least until 50 to 55 years of age.

In July 2013, the National Immunization Program of China was notified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that measles was detected in 3 newly adopted, special needs children with cerebral palsy (CP) from China. We report an investigation of measles transmission in China that led to infection of these children. Interviews were conducted with welfare institute staff and panel physicians; health records of the potentially exposed population were reviewed; and immunization coverage was assessed among institute residents. Five residents with CP, all unvaccinated against measles, among who were the 3 adoptees, were linked epidemiologically into 3 generations of measles transmission antecedent to the US outbreak. In a random sample of residents, first dose of measles containing vaccine (MCV1) and MCV2 coverage was 16 of 17 (94%) and 7 of 11 (64%) among children with CP, and 100% (32 of 32) and 96% (21 of 22) among children without CP. Vaccinators reported reluctance to vaccinate children with CP because the China pharmacopeia lists encephalopathy as a contraindication to vaccination. Panel physicians reported to investigators no necessity of vaccination for adoptees to the United States if US parents sign an affidavit exempting the child from vaccination. We recommend that the China pharmacopeia vaccine contraindications be reviewed and updated, the United States should reconsider allowing vaccination exemptions for internationally adopted children unless there are true medical contraindications to vaccination, and US pediatricians should counsel adopting parents to ensure that their child is up-to-date on recommended vaccinations before coming to the United States., (Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background: During the past decade, there has been a rise in US breast reconstruction rates, with a greater expansion in prosthetic-based techniques relative to autologous transfer. Immediate reconstruction in high-risk oncologic and surgical patients might be a contributing factor to these trends., Study Design: The National Cancer Data Base from the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society was used to identify a breast cancer cohort (1998 to 2011) treated with mastectomy. The patients were divided into high risk and low risk based on presence or absence of historic surgical or oncologic relative contraindications. Reconstructions were categorized as either autologous or implants. To understand trends for each high-risk characteristic, rates were adjusted by 1,000 total mastectomies performed for patients within each specific group and analyzed with Poisson regression., Results: Information from 1,040,088 patients with mastectomy was included. Rates of high-risk features did not change from 1998 to 2011. The increase in immediate reconstruction rates was greater for high-risk than low-risk patients (incidence rate ratio = 1.09 vs 1.06; p < 0.05 for both). There was a greater rate increase in implant than autologous reconstructions for both high-risk and low-risk groups. For high-risk patients, implant use increased for all features, but with the greatest change for elderly, comorbidities, and post-mastectomy radiotherapy (p < 0.01). For high-risk patients, autologous tissue use increased significantly for all features except pre-mastectomy radiotherapy., Conclusions: Breast reconstruction increased in high-risk surgical and oncologic patients, suggestive of a diminishing set of relative contraindications. Increased implant use in high-risk patients might be a contributing factor toward the preferential national expansion of prosthetic techniques., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: National guidelines have recommended against codeine use in children, but little is known about prescribing patterns in the United States. Our objectives were to assess changes over time in pediatric codeine prescription rates in emergency departments nationally and to determine factors associated with codeine prescription., Methods: We performed a serial cross-sectional analysis (2001-2010) of emergency department visits for patients ages 3 to 17 years in the nationally representative National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. We determined survey-weighted annual rates of codeine prescriptions and tested for linear trends over time. We used multivariate logistic regression to identify characteristics associated with codeine prescription and interrupted time-series analysis to assess changes in prescriptions for upper respiratory infection (URI) or cough associated with two 2006 national guidelines recommending against its use for these indications., Results: The proportion of visits (N = 189 million) with codeine prescription decreased from 3.7% to 2.9% during the study period (P = .008). Odds of codeine prescription were higher for children ages 8 to 12 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [1.21-1.67]) and among providers outside the northeast. Odds were lower for children who were non-Hispanic black (OR, 0.67 [0.56-0.8]) or with Medicaid (OR, 0.84 [0.71-0.98]). The 2006 guidelines were not associated with a decline in codeine prescriptions for cough or URI visits., Conclusions: Although there was a small decline in codeine prescription over 10 years, use for cough or URI did not decline after national guidelines recommending against its use. More effective interventions are needed to prevent codeine prescription to children., (Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Integrase inhibitors are a promising new group of antiretroviral drugs that suppress the integrase yielded by human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) via inhibiting the ,,integration" of the viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into the hosts' DNA genome. In 2007, raltegravir was the first integrase inhibitor that has been approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infections in antiretroviral-pretreated (-experienced) and antiretroviral-naive patients. Recently, elvitegravir, as a fixed coformulation with cobicistat, tenofovir und emtricitabine, has been approved for the treatment of HIV-1-infected antiretroviral-naive patients. InAugust of 2013, dolutegravir, a third integrase inhibitor, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Adiministation (FDA) for the treatment of HIV-1 infections in adults and children aged 12 years and older. Raltegravir has to be applied twice daily without a boosting agent. Elvitegravir and dolutegravir are applied once daily in the presence of a booster (elvitegravir) or unboosted (dolutegravir). In contrast to raltegravir and elvitegravir, dolutegravir shows a high genetic barrier to resistance, and is also applicable for the treatment of several HIV-1 infections with raltegravir and elvitegravir-resistant HIV variants. During the last years, raltegravir, elvitegravir and dolutegravir have been proven and established in the antiretroviral treatment of HIV-1 infections as effective, safe and well-tolerated agents. However, reliable statement forecasts of long-term toxicity of these substances can not yet be made.

Purpose: Drugs are approved on the basis of randomized trials conducted in selected populations. However, once approved, these treatments are usually expanded to patients ineligible for the trial., Patients and Methods: We used the SEER-Medicare database to identify subjects older than 65 years with metastatic breast, lung, and colon cancer, diagnosed between 2004 and 2007 and undergoing follow-up to 2009, who received bevacizumab. We defined a contraindication as having at least two billing claims before bevacizumab for thrombosis, cardiac disease, stroke, hemorrhage, hemoptysis, or GI perforation. We defined toxicity as first development of one of these conditions after therapy., Results: Among 16,085 metastatic patients identified, 3,039 (18.9%) received bevacizumab. Receipt of bevacizumab was associated with white race, later year of diagnosis, tumor type, and decreased comorbid conditions. Of patients who received bevacizumab, 1,082 (35.5%) had a contraindication. In multivariate analysis, receipt of bevacizumab with a contraindication was associated with black race (odds ratio [OR] = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.9), increased age, comorbidity, later year of diagnosis, and lower socioeconomic status. Patients with lung (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.4) and colon cancer (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.9) were more likely to have a contraindication. In the group with no contraindication, 30% had a complication after bevacizumab; black patients were more likely to have a complication than were white patients (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.93)., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates widespread use of bevacizumab among patients who had contraindications. Black patients were less likely to receive the drug, but those who did were more likely to have a contraindication. Efforts to understand toxicity and efficacy in populations excluded from clinical trials are needed.

Many mothers are inappropriately advised to discontinue breastfeeding or avoid taking essential medications because of fears of adverse effects on their infants. This cautious approach may be unnecessary in many cases, because only a small proportion of medications are contraindicated in breastfeeding mothers or associated with adverse effects on their infants. Information to inform physicians about the extent of excretion for a particular drug into human milk is needed but may not be available. Previous statements on this topic from the American Academy of Pediatrics provided physicians with data concerning the known excretion of specific medications into breast milk. More current and comprehensive information is now available on the Internet, as well as an application for mobile devices, at LactMed (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov). Therefore, with the exception of radioactive compounds requiring temporary cessation of breastfeeding, the reader will be referred to LactMed to obtain the most current data on an individual medication. This report discusses several topics of interest surrounding lactation, such as the use of psychotropic therapies, drugs to treat substance abuse, narcotics, galactagogues, and herbal products, as well as immunization of breastfeeding women. A discussion regarding the global implications of maternal medications and lactation in the developing world is beyond the scope of this report. The World Health Organization offers several programs and resources that address the importance of breastfeeding (see http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/).

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of a standardized measure of healthcare personnel (HCP) influenza vaccination., Setting: Acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, and dialysis centers from 3 US jurisdictions., Participants: Staff from 96 healthcare facilities randomly sampled from 234 facilities that completed pilot testing to assess the feasibility of the measure., Methods: Reliability was assessed by comparing agreement between facility staff and project staff on the classification of HCP numerator (vaccinated at facility, vaccinated elsewhere, contraindicated, declined) and denominator (employees, credentialed nonemployees, other nonemployees) categories. To assess validity, facility staff completed a series of case studies to evaluate how closely classification of HCP groups aligned with the measure's specifications. In a modified Delphi process, experts rated face validity of the proposed measure elements on a Likert-type scale., Results: Percent agreement was high for HCP vaccinated at the facility (99%) and elsewhere (95%) and was lower for HCP who declined vaccination (64%) or were medically contraindicated (64%). While agreement was high (more than 90%) for all denominator categories, many facilities' staff excluded nonemployees for whom numerator and denominator status was difficult to determine. Validity was lowest for credentialed and other nonemployees., Conclusions: The standardized measure of HCP influenza vaccination yields reproducible results for employees vaccinated at the facility and elsewhere. Adhering to true medical contraindications and tracking declinations should improve reliability. Difficulties in establishing denominators and determining vaccination status for credentialed and other nonemployees challenged the measure's validity and prompted revision to include a more limited group of nonemployees.

Objectives: Previous evaluations regarding the extent to which standard chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) care processes are delivered during routine clinical care are scant and have primarily relied on automated data--the validity of which is unknown., Methods: We examined adherence to 24 explicit modified Delphi panel-derived HCV-specific process measures in a cohort of 122,744 patients enrolled in the automated Veterans Administration HCV Clinical Case Registry between 2000 and 2006. We reviewed medical charts of 717 patients to compare the agreement between Registry and charts. We also estimated the effect of justifiable exceptions on measured performance in HCV by determining the proportion of patients who failed a measure but met a valid exception (i.e., patient refusal, outside care, or treatment contraindications)., Results: The percentage of patients who met the individual measures varied. For example, 74% of patients received HCV genotype testing, 23% received antiviral treatment, 28% received liver biopsy, and 16% received hepatitis A vaccination. We found excellent agreement between the Registry and charts in all measures (agreement coefficients >0.75). However, exceptions to indicated care documented in charts were common for genotype testing, liver biopsy, and antiviral treatment. After accounting for these exceptions, the measure rates increased from 75 to 93% for genotype testing, 31 to 50% for liver biopsy, and from 26 to 64% for antiviral treatment. Treatment contraindications were the most common reasons for not meeting indicated care., Conclusions: Automated data missed several exceptions to care that are documented only in providers' notes, thus underestimating process of care. These results have implications for future quality assessment initiatives-most of which will likely rely on automated data for process-based quality reporting. After accounting for automated data and medical record reviews, vaccinations and antiviral treatment rates in the Veterans Administration left room for improvement.

In the United States, an estimated 48,100 new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections occurred in 2009. Of these, 27% were in heterosexual men and women who did not inject drugs, and 64% were in men who have sex with men (MSM), including 3% in MSM who inject drugs. In January 2011, following publication of evidence of safety and efficacy of daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg (TDF)/emtricitabine 200 mg (FTC) (Truvada, Gilead Sciences) as antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk for HIV acquisition among MSM in the iPrEx trial, CDC issued interim guidance to make available information and important initial cautions on the use of PrEP in this population. Those recommendations remain valid for MSM, including MSM who also have sex with women. Since January 2011, data from studies of PrEP among heterosexual men and women have become available, and on July 16, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a label indication for reduction of risk for sexual acquisition of HIV infection among adults, including both heterosexuals and MSM. This interim guidance includes consideration of the new information and addresses pregnancy and safety issues for heterosexually active adults at very high risk for sexual HIV acquisition that were not discussed in the previous interim guidance for the use of PrEP in MSM.