Axios Vitals: Watch your words

Plus, CDC monitors hepatitis in kids, monkeypox | Monday, May 23, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Protect the Promise   Axios Vitals By Tina Reed · May 23, 2022 Welcome back to Vitals, where we can confirm the "hanger reflex" meme making the rounds on TikTok isn't real — at least not for us. Situational awareness: U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory this morning on recommendations to address the "health care burnout crisis." Today's newsletter is 816 words or a 3-minute read.     1 big thing: The language of health care needs an up Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   The push for more transparency in health care is fueling a reevaluation of the words doctors and nurses use in medical records. Why it matters: Medical lingo helps shape the care and treatment patients get. But the language health professional commonly use can belittle or cast doubts on patients and their complaints and is due for an update, an analysis published in the BMJ argues. Common phrases like "presenting complaint" or "the patient denies" can sound judgmental or doubtful of patients, researchers from The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS) in the U.K. said. Be smart: While these notes have typically been viewed as communication between physicians, patients are poised to gain expanded access to them, making word choices even more significant. For instance, rules stemming from the 21st Century Cures Act that goes into effect in October will allow patients to access far more parts of their electronic health records for free, said Catherine DesRoches, associate professor at Harvard Medical School. But, but, but: While some clinicians say the goal of eliminating bias is laudable, changing clinical language could actually create more confusion. My thought bubble: It'd be easy to dismiss questions around language as political correctness. But the discussion is factoring in more and more policy decisions, not just because of transparency, but because the health system increasingly relies on artificial intelligence and natural language processing. (Both are being used, for example, to help identify cases of child abuse from pediatric electronic medical records.) The bottom line: Words matter. Read the rest.     2. Pfizer releases data on kids' shots Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine was more than 80% effective at eliciting a strong immune response in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old.Why it matters: Pfizer is seeking an emergency use authorization to vaccinate children in this age group — one of the last groups of Americans still largely ineligible to receive a coronavirus shot. How it works: A group of 1,678 children under 5 received a lower dose for each injection in the Phase 2/3 study than older children and it was "well-tolerated," the companies said. The efficacy data from three doses was observed during a time when Omicron was the predominant variant. The FDA has said its key advisory committee will meet in June to consider emergency use authorization requests from both Pfizer and Moderna for kids 5 and under.     3. CDC examines hepatitis cases, deaths in kids Liviah Widders rubs sunscreen on her liver transplant scar in Mason, Ohio, earlier this month. She had viral hepatitis. Photo: Megan Jelinger for The Washington Post via Getty Images   The CDC is examining 180 reported cases of hepatitis of unknown origin in kids across 36 states and territories, including six cases that resulted in deaths, officials told reporters in a briefing. Why it matters: CDC is still trying to tease out whether these are part of a true increase in hepatitis among kids — or if the cases were identified as the result of improved pandemic-era surveillance. Be smart: The leading hypothesis for a root cause is adenovirus infections, which are common in childhood, officials said. Another working theory is that the cause "is a rogue immune response" to a COVID infection. Zoom in: The CDC is scrambling to identify possible exposure history including to drugs, foods, or toxins, as well as scouring medical records for clues. It's unlikely any increase is associated with COVID vaccination since the median age of kids affected is 2 years old, they said. The bottom line: "Unfortunately, the illness in many of these patients is severe," Umesh Parashar, chief of the viral gastroenteritis branch at the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases said. "This is clearly a severe disease that we're taking very carefully for that reason."     A message from Protect the Promise Take Medicare cuts off the table     Seniors and people with disabilities depend on Medicare for access to high-quality, affordable health care. Congress must reject proposals that attempt to take money from Medicare to fund other programs. Protect these vital benefits for millions of Americans. Learn more.     4. Monkeypox found in three states Note: Monkeypox is more common and locally transmitted in west and central Africa; Data: WHO, Axios reporting; Map: Axios Visuals The U.S. now has three confirmed cases of monkeypox as part of a global outbreak of the disease after patients were identified New York City and in Florida. Massachusetts had the first reported U.S. case on Wednesday. What they're saying: President Biden on Sunday said that the recent spread of monkeypox in at least 12 countries is "something that everybody should be concerned about." Be smart: This may become the largest outbreak of the virus outside of Africa, but it's not likely to cause a global pandemic like COVID, an infectious disease expert tells Axios. Go deeper: What we know about the new monkeypox outbreak     5. Pics du jour Photo: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images   U.S. Air Force personnel loaded pallets with baby formula at Ramstein Air Base on Saturday to be shipped to the U.S. The formula arrived by three trucks from Switzerland as part of Operation Fly Formula to find alternative sources of infant formula due to a nationwide shortage in the U.S. Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack greets a shipment of 78,000 pounds of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula at the Indianapolis Airport on Sunday. Yes, but: This formula is very specific and specialized for children with allergies, Vilsack said during a news conference. CNN reported the Biden administration said the first shipment won't head to store shelves but instead be distributed to hospitals, doctors, home health care facilities and pharmacies "where the needs are most acute."     A message from Protect the Promise Take Medicare cuts off the table     Seniors and people with disabilities depend on Medicare for access to high-quality, affordable health care. Congress must reject proposals that attempt to take money from Medicare to fund other programs. Protect these vital benefits for millions of Americans. Learn more.   Like this email style and format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 200 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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