Latest news with #clinic
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Medscape Readers Offer Their Opinion on UTI Management
I recently presented a clinical scenario of a 34-year-old woman who called the clinic after hours, reporting symptoms consistent with a urinary tract infection (UTI). The only in-person clinical care available at the time was the emergency department, and urgent care wouldn't open until the following morning. Given this history, I asked Medscape readers what they would do next. Thank you for the excellent participation and comments that you provided. It was wonderful to hear different perspectives. According to our reader poll, the most popular management option for this patient was a recommendation to visit the urgent care center on Saturday morning. This would be the most reasonable approach if there was some doubt as to the diagnosis of UTI. As I described in the previous article (and as one reader commented), there is a possibility that this patient might have a sexually transmitted infection, not a UTI. However, a brief screen for symptoms and sexual history could be performed over the phone and, if negative, would make the diagnosis of UTI much more likely. If clinical questioning indicates that the patient might be experiencing menopause, genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) becomes a consideration. Among women, postmenopausal dysuria can have multiple etiologies, but clinicians should strongly consider GSM as a potential diagnosis. GSM is a term that describes the genital, sexual, and urinary symptoms that affect over 80% of postmenopausal women. These symptoms can include vaginal dryness and burning, dyspareunia, and dysuria. So, how can physicians differentiate GSM from UTI? I focus on the anatomical location of discomfort. Is it around the urethra and vagina or deeper in the suprapubic area? UTI is more likely to be associated with urinary urgency and frequency, but if GSM is accompanied by detrusor instability — another very common condition — the lines between diagnoses can continue to blur. Finally, a pelvic examination with evidence of vaginal atrophy would suggest GSM. In my professional opinion, GSM is not a consideration in our 34-year-old patient. Instead, I agree with the 27% of respondents who wanted to treat her empirically with nitrofurantoin. Nitrofurantoin is well-tolerated and one of the three preferred antibiotics for uncomplicated UTIs among women, according to the 2010 guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The other first-line antibiotics for uncomplicated UTI were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fosfomycin. Of these three recommended antibiotics, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin are associated with the lowest rates of antimicrobial resistance, and nitrofurantoin is generally more readily available in pharmacies than is fosfomycin. Fluoroquinolones are less preferred for the treatment of UTI because of higher rates of antimicrobial resistance. In a study of 3779 adults with UTI presenting to US emergency departments between 2018 and 2020, 22.1% of Escherichia coli isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones. As one reader astutely noted, fluoroquinolones can also promote myalgia, tendonitis, and tendon rupture. As for beta-lactams, inferiority to fluoroquinolones for clinical cure rates of UTI and concerns regarding the promotion of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase resistance of gram-negative bacteria limit their use in the treatment of UTI. A new antibiotic, gepotidacin, was approved in March 2025 for the management of uncomplicated UTI among female patients aged 12 years or older. Investigators compared gepotidacin vs nitrofurantoin among 3136 women with UTI in two randomized controlled trials. The treatment course of both gepotidacin and nitrofurantoin was 5 days. The investigators found that gepotidacin was noninferior to nitrofurantoin in the outcome of treatment success (defined by symptomatic plus microbiologic success) in one of the trials, and superior to nitrofurantoin in the other trial. Of note, treatment success for resistant phenotypes of E coli generally favored gepotidacin. Diarrhea occurred in 14% and 18% of women treated with gepotidacin in the two studies, respectively, whereas 4% of women treated with nitrofurantoin developed nausea. Although UTI is one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide, it does not receive the attention from researchers and clinicians that it should. So, it is exciting to have a new class of antibiotic to offer women with UTI, and treatment guidelines are currently being updated to incorporate data regarding emerging treatments for UTI. The future is bright! As always, thank you for your contributions to this series.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Can this £350 at-home microneedling treatment really give you smoother, tighter skin?
When the likes of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston swear by a cosmetic treatment for its skin-smoothing and tightening results, a beauty buzz inevitably follows. That's just what happened with radio frequency (RF) microneedling. The non-surgical treatment is essentially two skin -rejuvenating technologies (microneedling and radiofrequency therapy) combined. It involves an in-clinic aesthetic practitioner using a device on the skin that creates micro-wounds with tiny needles, while also heating the skin with radio waves to trigger the healing response. Essentially, the treatment boosts the production of collagen and elastin – the proteins that smooth, strengthen and firm our complexions. It has become an A-lister go-to for its age-defying effectiveness, resurfacing and tightening the complexion. But before you book a session at your nearest salon, there are some drawbacks. Primarily, it's very expensive – just one session can set you back hundreds of pounds. It's not painless, either, and there are side effects such as dryness, redness and swelling. So I was fascinated – and frankly, a little alarmed – when I heard beauty device specialist CurrentBody claimed to have packaged this tech into an at-home treatment. On top of that, they claim it comes without any of the in-salon downsides. There was only one thing to do: I simply had to try it for myself. How I tested CurrentBody recommends performing the RF microneedling treatment once a week for eight weeks, so that's exactly what I did. Every Sunday, I used the device on the signs of ageing that bother me the most. I applied the forehead microneedling patch on my deep frown line between my eyebrows, and the eye microneedling patch to my puffy under-eye area. I left them on for more than two hours (as recommended) before using the radiofrequency device on each area, as well as on my sagging jawline. During testing, I assessed the device on the following criteria: Ease of use: I assessed ease of operation and how long it took to use the device per session. Results: I considered whether the treatment delivered noticeable improvements in the appearance of my skin. Value for money: At £350, the treatment is an investment, so I also considered whether the results justify the splurge. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Sabine Wiesel is a beauty journalist in her 40s who specialises in mature and anti-ageing skincare and beauty products. In her career, she's reviewed everything from the best neck creams to retinol eye creams to find the products that actually make an impact on fine lines. On top of that, she discusses these treatments with dermatologists and aestheticians for their expert insights and advice.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Neuralink targets $1 billion revenue by 2031, Bloomberg News reports
(Reuters) -Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink aims to generate at least $1 billion in annual revenue by 2031, driven by plans to perform 20,000 surgeries per year, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing investor documents. The company aims to operate five large clinics within six years and offer three versions of its brain device, including Telepathy for communication between the brain and machines, Blindsight for restoring vision, and Deep for treating tremors and Parkinson's disease, according to the report. Neuralink did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company expects regulatory approval for its Telepathy device by 2029, with plans to perform 2,000 surgeries annually and generate $100 million in revenue, the report said. By 2030, Neuralink anticipates launching Blindsight, expanding surgeries to 10,000 per year and generating over $500 million in revenue. Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
23-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Neuralink Sees $1 Billion of Revenue by 2031 in Vast Expansion
Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink Corp. expects to put its chips in 20,000 people a year by 2031, generating at least $1 billion in annual revenue, in a major ramp up of its work to treat disease and gain unprecedented access to the human mind, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg. Within six years the company also plans to have about five large clinics in operation, with at least three versions of its device available, according to a recent presentation shown to investors. One version, Telepathy, is for enabling communication between the brain and machines; another, Blindsight, is aimed at giving vision to blind people; and a third, Deep, would treat tremors and Parkinson's disease.
Independent Singapore
23-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
Doctor fends off robber, thinking he is holding a fake gun — until it goes off as robber flees
MALAYSIA: A robbery attempt at a clinic in Johor Bahru took place last Saturday evening (19 July), when a man wielding what appeared to be a firearm was confronted by the clinic's doctor who believed the weapon was fake. The struggle that ensued ended with the robber accidentally discharging the gun while fleeing the scene. No one was injured. The incident unfolded at around 7 pm at a private clinic in the city. According to reports from the Malaysian press, a man entered the clinic wearing a motorcycle helmet. Upon spotting a female doctor on duty, he pulled a pistol from his bag, claimed he needed her 'help,' and demanded money. The woman's husband, who is also a doctor at the clinic, confronted the man. Believing the gun was not real, he fought the robber while the female doctor escaped to a nearby shop to seek help. The store owner called the police and asked the female doctor to stay in the shop until help arrived. The pair then heard the sound of the gun going off. The gunshot was later found to have been accidental. CCTV footage recorded by the shop owner showed that the robber tripped and fell while running away, causing the gun to go off. No one was struck by the bullet. The robbery was unsuccessful while the male doctor sustained minor injuries. In his escape, the suspect left behind a backpack containing identification documents, which were recovered by police. Shell casings and a bullet were also found at the scene. The incident has left neighbouring business owners shaken. Many expressed concern over safety in the area and are calling for increased police patrols. Investigations are ongoing. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
