911Deaf

On November 28, 2016, the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) reported the first case of locally acquired mosquito-borne Zika virus infection in the city of Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. On December 9, 2016, four additional cases in people living in proximity to the first case were reported. TDSHS continues to investigate Zika virus transmission in Brownsville.

Scarlet Anne Taylor was only 5 when she became sick with the flu and was sent home from school in December 2014. Two days later, Scarlet was admitted to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing. Once admitted, her condition only seemed to worsen. Four hours after bringing her daughter to the hospital, her mother, Rebecca Hendricks, learned that she had died of complications from flu. “My daughter died from a vaccine preventable disease,” Rebecca recounts.

Effective communication between patient and provider is critical when initiating opioid therapy. Often providers will need to adjust prescribing practices and motivate patients to stay committed to the changes. During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn how to apply principles of motivational interviewing and a six-step process that is patient-centered and supports clinical judgment when conflict arises. Presenters will review two case studies in which they will apply communication strategies, and provide examples of patient-provider dialogue.

Throughout this holiday season, many clinicians will see patients who plan to travel or have recently traveled to areas with active Zika transmission. During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn about current CDC travel recommendations, how to determine which patients should receive Zika testing after traveling to an area with Zika, and the recommendations for patients before and after travel to help them protect themselves and others from Zika.

When prescribing opioids, risk mitigation strategies can be an effective way to reduce abuse and overdose. Strategies described in CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain include reviewing prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data, urine drug testing (UDT), and co-prescribing naloxone. During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn about steps they can take when concerning information is discovered through PDMP checks or UDT. Presenters will review how to evaluate factors that increase risk for opioid overdose and how to determine when co-prescribing naloxone would be beneficial. In addition, a case study of a 46-year-old man with chronic low back pain, on high-dose opioid, will be presented to illustrate how PDMP and UDT results and medical evaluation can be used for opioid treatment decision-making.

CDC and several state and local health departments are testing for Zika virus. Every day, CDC learns more about Zika. CDC has recently released revised Zika virus laboratory testing guidance. During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn about the updated recommendations in CDC’s Guidance for U.S. Laboratories Testing for Zika Virus Infection and understand their role in testing specimens collected from patients. In addition, subject matter experts from CDC, the American Society for Microbiology, and the Association of Public Health Laboratories will discuss changes to the CDC Trioplex Real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) Assay Emergency Use Authorization, examine the use of non-CDC developed assays, and review recommendations for plaque reduction neutralization testing in Puerto Rico.

As the season of togetherness rolls in, regular routines roll out. You do things you don’t normally do: decorating, cooking, hosting guests (and their germs), or playing a pick-up game of football in the backyard. As you channel your inner Julia Child, Aaron Rodgers, or Martha Stewart in preparation for your holiday gatherings, here are five things you should remember.

One substantial risk associated with prescribing opioids for chronic pain is opioid use disorder (OUD). This disorder is associated with specific criteria, such as unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control opioid use, as well as use resulting in social problems and a failure to fulfill obligations at work, school, or home. During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn about OUD diagnosis criteria, evidence-based treatment options, and patient education techniques. Presenters will use actual case studies to illustrate how clinicians can use recommendations from the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to select OUD evidence-based treatment options such as medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine or methadone in combination with behavioral therapies.

It is November 2015, and Georgia’s emergency personnel are preparing to respond to an outbreak of plague (http://www.cdc.gov/plague/index.html). Don’t worry, it’s not the real plague. This is only a test. No one is actually sick or in any danger. But what if it were real? Armed with the knowledge that practice makes perfect, the Georgia Department of Public Health is conducting a statewide exercise to test its systems and practice responding to a large-scale public health emergency. In this case, the state is simulating a bioterrorist attack involving an intentional release of the communicable Category A biological agent Yersinia pestis, commonly known as plague. It is a giant effort involving the entire state: all 18 regional emergency operations centers are activating, and they are working closely with CDC. It’s all pretend, but for those participating, the exercise is very real. There are real phone calls and real trucks and drivers delivering real pallets of materials with real bottles (of pretend medicine). Each pallet and bottle has a real lot number for tracking. Real people – volunteers – will test their ability to dispense medicine quickly in every corner of the state. It’s a critical part of being ready to save lives in case of a bioterrorist attack.

There’s a fire in your building. Your plane is about to crash. A woman beside you on the street suddenly collapses. What do you do? Well, that depends. Every one of us is at risk for these kinds of unexpected intrusions into our day-to-day lives. What you do about it depends on whether or not you’re prepared – not just physically, but also mentally. In any situation, some things are likely to be out of your control: the size of the fire; who’s flying the plane; what’s wrong with the woman. Some things, however, are up to you. Being aware of how you might react can go a long way toward making a bad situation better.