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Health news and commentary gathered by MedPage Today staff
by
MedPage Today Staff
October 18, 2024
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Surgeons at a Kentucky hospital were preparing to remove the organs from a donor who had been declared dead only to realize he was thrashing, crying, and very much alive; they stopped the procedure and the man is still alive 3 years later. (WESA)
A federal judge ordered Florida to stop threatening TV stations for airing a political ad supporting a pro-abortion-rights ballot initiative. (Washington Post)
In Tennessee, a court said that doctors in the state cannot be subject to discipline for providing emergency abortions. (AP)
Can medical devices like colostomy bags be made into fashion accessories? This designer thinks so. (Washington Post)
Dairy cattle in California appear to be dying from bird flu at higher rates than other affected states. (Reuters)
This year’s flu shot no longer targets the influenza B/Yamagata lineage; the strain stopped spreading during the COVID pandemic. (NPR)
In Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), CDC researchers warned of the westward spread of eastern raccoon rabies virus variant.
Legal marijuana can contain dangerous mold. (Wall Street Journal)
Colsen announced a recall of nearly 90,000 of its tabletop fire pits after 19 burn injuries, with some leading to permanent disfigurement.
In a series of lawsuits, former patients of an Atlanta plastic surgeon known as “The Eye Guy” claim they were left with permanent scarring and injuries. (WSB-TV)
Over the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in children has nearly doubled, with current rates reaching 21% and 7%, respectively. (MMWR)
The Federal Communications Commission voted that calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline be routed by geolocation. (Roll Call)
The FDA expanded the approval of sodium oxybate (Lumryz) for cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness to include children with narcolepsy ages 7 years and up, Avadel Pharmaceuticals announced.
Glaukos said its investigational treatment for keratoconus met the primary efficacy endpoint in a phase III study; the company is planning to seek FDA approval.
FDA broadcast Staska Pharmaceuticals’ recall of a lot of ascorbic acid solution for injection vials due to the presence of glass particulates.
Texas is suing a doctor for allegedly violating state restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. (NBC News)
Radiologists have issued a call-to-action to combat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD. (RadioGraphics)
Seventeen students at a California middle school were treated for ingesting an unknown drug after eating gummy bears. (People)
The number of mpox-related deaths in Africa now exceeds 1,000. (AP)
Rachel Yaffe, a 27-year-old TikTok star who shared her medical journal with fibrolamellar carcinoma, died of the rare liver cancer. (NBC News)