Medical Treatments

Health & Safety

CDC weighs new opioid prescribing guidelines amid controversy over old ones

11:01am April 09, 2022

by Will Stone

Many blame the agency's earlier guidance for suffering and even suicide risk among chronic pain patients. Critics say the updated advice may not fix the problem.

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Capitol Hill police officers and an officer with the Humane Rescue Alliance's animal control division attempt to trap a fox on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. The fox was ultimately captured, euthanized and confirmed positive for rabies. The f

Health & Safety

The Capitol fox fascinated folks. But no one mentioned the cost of rabies treatment

9:22am April 09, 2022

by Wynne Davis

Rabies deaths are extremely rare in the U.S., thanks to the effectiveness of the post-exposure prophylaxis treatment that exists. But the cost of those lifesaving shots can be extremely high.

Dr. Anthony Fauci talks about vaccine efficacy and second boosters

4:20pm April 08, 2022

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, about the new study on vaccines and the current COVID-19 wave.

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A pop-up clinic inside Los Angeles International Airport offered free vaccinations and boosters for holiday travelers last December. A new round of vaccinations may be needed before next winter.

Health & Safety

Advisers to FDA weigh in on updated COVID boosters for the fall

5:33pm April 06, 2022

by Scott Hensley

The vaccines now in use are based on the form of the virus that circulated at the beginning of the pandemic and are less effective against the omicron variant. New options are in the works.

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Pain patients and doctors worry the CDC's new opioid guidelines may be damaging

4:33pm April 04, 2022

by Will Stone

Patients with chronic pain and doctors have long raised concerns about the CDC's opioid prescribing guidelines. The agency has drafted a new version, but some worry it doesn't protect patients enough.

Bruce Willis attends the premiere of "Motherless Brooklyn" during the 57th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 11, 2019, in New York. Willis' family announced that the actor has been diagnosed with aphasia, causing him to step away from act

Understanding aphasia, the condition impacting Bruce Willis' acting career

2:26pm March 31, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

While details of Willis' diagnosis are unknown, medical experts stress the importance of the brain condition and how it's specifically treated — depending on its severity.

A health worker shows a box containing a bottle of Ivermectin in Cali, Colombia, on July 21, 2020.

Ivermectin does not prevent COVID-19 hospitalization, a new study says

8:51pm March 30, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

The Food and Drug Administration has long warned against using the cow and horse dewormer to fight COVID-19, warning it can cause serious, adverse effects.

The viability of ECMO as a last-ditch treatment for COVID

5:08pm March 29, 2022

ECMO machines became a last-ditch treatment for COVID. But only half of the patients who got ECMO survived, raising questions about whether this expensive and hard to access treatment is worth it.

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FDA authorizes 4th COVID shots for people 50 and older

4:41pm March 29, 2022

by Rob Stein

The Food and Drug Administration has authorize fourth shots for those age 50 and older. The move is aimed at shoring up waning immunity, especially as the U.S. faces the possibility of another surge.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, back left, and Colorado Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, back right, listen as Majority Leader Daneya Esgar speaks during a news conference. Esgar has called for the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Roe v. Wade.

Colorado braces to become refuge for abortion access if 'Roe' is weakened

2:44pm March 29, 2022

by Rae Ellen Bichell | Kaiser Health News

If Roe v. Wade falters, Colorado will be nearly surrounded by a sea of anti-abortion states. The state is bracing for impact from out-of-state residents, while lawmakers cement abortion protections.