A study involving more than 2.3 million children in Sweden, published in The Lancet Regional Health--Europe, identifies risk factors for severe outcomes of respiratory syncytial virus infections. Factors include winter birth, being small for gestational age, multiple births, preterm birth and having young siblings.

Pharmacists can play a crucial role in patient safety by addressing medication errors such as incorrect dosing of drugs including buspirone, lamotrigine and apixaban, overuse of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and underuse of statins in diabetes patients. By helping to identify and solve these issues, pharmacists can improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce risk of adverse effects.

Bacterial infections, particularly from viridans group streptococci that are found in the mouth, may contribute to heart attacks by causing inflammation in arterial plaque, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. "We've long suspected that inflammation is a key driver of cholesterol plaque formation and plaque rupture leading to heart attacks," said Dr. Sergiu Darabant of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. "This study adds another piece to the puzzle -- showing how bacteria from the mouth might play a hidden role in driving coronary inflammation."

The slated expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies at the end of the year may have a big effect on millions of families facing significant increases in premiums. Some may shift to high-deductible plans that offer lower premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs and others may have to choose between maintaining their health coverage and cutting essential household expenses. There is support among Democrats and some Republicans for extending the subsidies but it's not clear whether it will be included in upcoming legislation.

Patient complaints about hospitals have increased by 79% over five years, reaching more than 14,500 in fiscal 2024, according to a CMS report. The surge in complaints highlights significant oversight gaps, as investigations are delayed due to stagnant funding for State Survey Agencies since 2015, the report says.

Cardiologists have created an open-source AI model, EchoNet-Measurements, that accurately evaluates 18 measurements on echocardiography results, including left ventricular internal diameter and ascending aorta diameter. The model, detailed in JACC, was trained on data from over 150,000 transthoracic echocardiography studies at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and validated with more than 1,000 studies from Stanford Healthcare. EchoNet-Measurements demonstrated significant accuracy in linear and Doppler measurements.

Clinicians in Virginia are using artificial intelligence to improve patient care and streamline processes. Dr. Michael Campbell uses an AI tool to map foot surgeries, making them faster and more precise, and clinicians at Sentara Healthcare use generative AI to draft clinical notes and reduce administrative tasks. Sentara Chief Health Information Officer Joe Evans says AI will also advance medical training, and medical education curricula will increasingly cover the use of AI.

Providence's health equity fellowship program is helping the health system scale initiatives and improve care. Focusing on practical projects, the program has led to improvements in hypertension control in Latino populations and has reduced readmissions for patients with limited English proficiency, says Whitney Haggerson, Providence's vice president of health equity and Medicaid.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is safe and effective for patients with nickel allergies, according to a study in JACC: Case Reports. Researchers led by Dr. Richard Chazal reviewed data from seven female patients aged 66 to 92 and found no severe adverse events and no allergic reactions after TAVR. The study suggests a history of nickel allergy should not be a major concern in TAVR evaluation, but the authors call for further research on long-term effects.