911Deaf

Eculizumab (Soliris®) recipients have a 1,000 to 2,000-fold greater risk of invasive meningococcal disease compared to the general U.S. population. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescribing information for eculizumab includes a black box warning for increased risk of meningococcal disease, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends meningococcal vaccination for all patients receiving eculizumab. Recent data show that some patients receiving eculizumab who were vaccinated with the recommended meningococcal vaccines still developed meningococcal disease, most often from nongroupable Neisseria meningitidis, which rarely causes invasive disease in healthy individuals.

Eculizumab (Soliris®) recipients have a 1,000 to 2,000-fold greater risk of invasive meningococcal disease compared to the general U.S. population. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescribing information for eculizumab includes a black box warning for increased risk of meningococcal disease, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends meningococcal vaccination for all patients receiving eculizumab. Recent data show that some patients receiving eculizumab who were vaccinated with the recommended meningococcal vaccines still developed meningococcal disease, most often from nongroupable Neisseria meningitidis, which rarely causes invasive disease in healthy individuals.

The 4th of July is a day to celebrate Uncle Sam, enjoy the summer weather, and spend time with family and friends. Keep these five things in mind as you plan your 4th of July celebration.

We observed CPR and AED Awareness Week (http://cpr.heart.org/AHAECC/CPRAndECC/Programs/CPRAEDAwarenessWeek/UCM_475579_CPR-and-AED-Awareness-Week.jsp) at the beginning of June. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Stacy Thorne, a health scientist in the Office of Smoking and Health, who is also a certified first aid, CPR and AED instructor.

Emergencies come in many forms: fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, violent storms and even terrorism. In the event of extreme weather or a disaster, would you know what to do to protect your pet?

Sunday is Father’s Day—a holiday that is less exciting to my daughter than National Lollipop Day on July 21. Then again, she’s only two. Though I am still learning how to be a father, I’ve made some observations worth sharing. Yes, there are dads out there who have parented for longer, but I also know that every parent has a unique perspective. Mine happens to be influenced by years of work in emergency preparedness. Allow me to expand on some lessons I’ve learned.

June brings summer to our doorstep, along with National Safety Month. This year’s theme encourages us to “Keep Each Other Safe.” One of the best ways to keep each other safe is to “Stand Up to Falls.”

The summer swim season is here, and millions of Americans will be flocking to local pools for fun in the sun and exercise. However, swimming, like any form of exercise, does not come without health risks. The good news is that we can all take a few simple but effective steps to help keep ourselves and other swimmers we know healthy and safe.

Stroke—also called a “brain attack”—can happen to anyone at any time. On average one American dies from stroke every 4 minutes. Most strokes happen when blood flow to the brain is blocked, causing brain cells to die. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of long-term disability. Your best chance for surviving a stroke and having a full recovery is getting to the hospital quickly. But did you know that 1 in 3 stroke patients doesn’t call an ambulance? Instead, they may not recognize they’re having a stroke, try to wait to see if their symptoms go away, or may try to drive themselves or have another person drive them to the emergency room. All of these things actually increases your risk for disability and death.

On May 17, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication warning about the use of Magellan Diagnostics’ LeadCare® analyzers with venous blood samples because they might result in falsely low test results. FDA is now advising that Magellan Diagnostics’ LeadCare® analyzers should no longer be used with venous blood samples. The safety alert does not apply to capillary blood lead test results collected by fingerstick or heelstick. During this COCA call, clinicians will learn the importance of lead testing for children and pregnant or lactating women, which patients may be impacted, and CDC’s recommendations for re-testing.