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What We're Reading: Demand for Antibiotics; FDA Inspects Juul; Fast Food Consumption
Patients who receive an antibiotic prescription report being happiest with their doctor’s visit, whether or not they needed the antibiotic; the FDA has collected more than 1000 pages of documents from Juul’s headquarters as part of a surprise inspection into its sales and marketing practices; on any given day, an average of 36.6% of American adults are eating fast food, and the proportion eating fast food increases with income.
Patient Satisfaction Tied to Antibiotic Prescribing
A study has found that patients who receive an antibiotic prescription report being happiest with their doctor’s visit, whether or not they needed the antibiotic. NPR reported that concern about patient satisfaction scores may influence doctors to prescribe antibiotics when they are not necessary. The study analyzed 8347 appointments for respiratory tract infections through a telemedicine provider and found that 66% received antibiotics for something that rarely calls for antibiotics. Antibiotics are routinely overprescribed for respiratory tract infections, which can lead to antibiotic resistance.
FDA Surprises e-Cigarette Maker Juul With Inspection
Use of e-cigarettes has surged among youth with the number of high school students using devices like Juul, and the FDA has collected more than 1000 pages of documents from Juul’s headquarters as part of a surprise inspection. According to The Wall Street Journal, FDA inspectors are focusing on sales and marketing practices stemming from concerns that the Juul’s flavored liquids appeal to youths. Juul, and similar devices, contain high levels of nicotine. The company’s sales have sharply increased from 2.2 million devices in 2016 to 16.2 million in 2017. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, is considering banning flavored products as teen vaping increases.
Every Day, 1 in 3 Americans Eat Fast Food
On any given day, an average of 36.6% of American adults are eating fast food. A report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics compared percentages for demographic characteristics and found that the proportion of adults eating fast food increased with income, according to Los Angeles Times. While 31.7% of lower-income adults eat fast food, 42% of high-income families eat fast food on a typical day. In addition, Americans are eating fast food all day: 22.7% gets breakfast from a fast food outlet, 43.7% get lunch, 42.0% get dinner, and 22.8% get a snack.
Health Care Utilization and Cost of Diagnostic Testing for Respiratory Infections
September 17th 2025Syndromic reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction tests for respiratory infections were associated with lower health care resource utilization and costs, implicating potential for improved value in patient care.
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Preventing Respiratory Illness and Death Through Tighter Air Quality Standards
June 1st 2021On this episode of Managed Care Cast, a research scholar at the Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York University discusses the latest findings in the Health of the Air report, which was presented at the recent American Thoracic Society 2021 International Conference.
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Rurality, Long Travel Times Limit Access to Tobacco Treatment for Patients With COPD Who Smoke
August 30th 2025Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who smoke were less likely to receive tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) if they lived in rural areas or had longer travel times to care, highlighting persistent geographic disparities in access.
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Multidisciplinary Approaches to Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review of Respiratory Therapies
August 13th 2025The treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is moving toward a personalized, multidisciplinary approach that combines surgical options with a growing number of nonsurgical alternatives, to better address the unique needs of each child.
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