The graphic says CDC Chief Medical Officer’s MMWR Clinical Pearls with an image of a woman with brown hair, blue shirt, and a gray blazer.

Newsletter

April 2024


Think Horses First

The graphic is multiple horses galloping.
Unsupervised Melatonin Ingestion

During 2019–2022, there were approximately 11,000 emergency department visits among young children for unsupervised melatonin ingestions. Approximately 6% resulted in hospitalization. Many incidents involved ingestion of flavored products (e.g., gummy formulations). Clinicians can educate parents and other caregivers about keeping all medications and supplements (including gummies) out of children’s reach and sight.

Read more about unsupervised melatonin ingestion

Hypertension

Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. During 2017–2021, approximately one third of U.S. adults reported diagnosed hypertension. Prevalence varied by sociodemographic characteristics and state of residence. Among those who had hypertension diagnosed, 63% used antihypertensive medications. Clinicians can promote lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive medication use when indicated to optimize blood pressure control and reduce disparities.

Read more about hypertension


Don’t Forget Zebras

The graphic includes Zebras walking around grass.
Measles

Syndromic polymerase chain reaction panels test for pathogens that cause rash illnesses, including measles. Positive tests were reported in recently vaccinated children without known measles risk factors. Their results were attributed to detection of measles vaccine virus, which is not transmitted to others and does not cause disease in immunocompetent persons. Approximately 5% of patients experience a rash after measles vaccination. Although not unexpected after vaccination, any detection of measles virus should immediately be reported to public health agencies to determine the appropriate public health response.

Read more about measles


Opportunities to Improve Clinical Outcomes

The graphic includes five clinicians smiling.
Fungal diseases

Coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis, fungal diseases that can cause severe respiratory illness or disseminated disease and death, are underdiagnosed and underreported. Fluctuating case counts and atypical seasonality suggest these infections might have been affected by changes in health care-seeking behavior, diagnostic testing, or underreporting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinicians might want to consider testing for fungal infections in patients with pneumonia whose symptoms do not improve with antibiotics or who have geographic or other risk factors.

Read more about fungal diseases


Did you know? Medscape & MMWR have FREE CME activities

The graphic is a clinician smiling.

Continuing medical education credits are available from Medscape on select MMWRs.

Learn more about FREE CME

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get our monthly newsletter delivered to your email inbox.