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Should hospitals screen patients for weed use like alcohol?

June 06, 2024
June 6, 2024
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Morning Rounds Writer and Podcast Producer
Happy Thursday! It's Readout LOUD day here at STAT headquarters, now that I have my hosts back from their respective work travel. You'll hear from Nalis Merelli as always tomorrow, and I'll catch you next week.

coercive care

Government and other orgs express outrage over coercive sterilizations

Christine Kao/STAT

Government officials, medical organizations, and advocacy groups have expressed outrage in response to recent reporting from STAT's Eric Boodman on the experiences of women with sickle cell disease who have felt pressured into getting tubal ligations or hysterectomies. The American Medical Association said in a statement that it "strongly opposes the performance of nonconsensual medical procedures." In his first story, Eric spoke to 50 women with sickle cell, seven of whom reported being sterilized with questionable consent.

These stories are nuanced, and so are the possible responses and solutions. But experts say that education and equal access to care are paramount. Read Eric's story on the reactions to his reporting. And if you haven't already, check out his ongoing investigative series on the problem.

cannabis

Why don't hospitals track weed use like they do alcohol?

More than half of Americans live in a state where marijuana is legalized both medically and recreationally, and three-quarters live in a state where it's legal at least for medical use. Despite the drug's prevalence, most health systems still don't screen for cannabis use like they do for other substances like alcohol. But in a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open, researchers argue that systems need to implement routine screening practices.

The researchers analyzed the electronic health records of more than 175,000 patients who had a wellness visit between January 2021 and May 2023 within a Los Angeles area health system that does screen for cannabis use. They found that 17% of patients had used cannabis within the past three months, mostly to manage issues like pain, stress, and trouble sleeping. Almost 35% of those who used the drug showed moderate to high risk for cannabis use disorder. Understanding how patients may use weed to manage symptoms could be critical information for providers to understand their patients' risk of disordered use, the authors wrote.

infectious disease

A quick roundup of the latest vaccine news

  • Finland will offer bird flu vaccine to select groups: In what may be a global first, Finland is preparing to offer vaccines to people at risk of exposure to the H5N1 bird flu spreading in farmed and wild animals, STAT's Andrew Joseph reports. The decision reflects concern that people in close contact with infected animals could contract the viruses.
  • Vaccines for all? In a First Opinion essay, two former federal leaders argue that all Americans should have equal access to the vaccines their doctors recommend, regardless of health insurance coverage. But in order to make that a reality, regulators need to close a loophole in the Affordable Care Act. Read more. 
  • Looking ahead to autumn: The FDA's vaccine advisory panel voted unanimously yesterday to recommend this fall's Covid-19 shots be updated to target viruses in Omicron's JN.1 lineage, STAT'S Helen Branswell reports. If accepted by the FDA, the recommendation is broad enough to ensure that Novavax, which has struggled to gain a substantial share of the market, will be able to supply its vaccine to the U.S. this fall, along with Pfizer and Moderna.

mental health

One in six experience symptoms when discontinuing antidepressants, per study

Adobe

When somebody stops taking an antidepressant medication, the problem isn't just that their original psychiatric symptoms can return. There are dozens of others they might experience, ranging from manageable headaches or nausea to irritability, insomnia, sensory disturbances, and even suicidal ideation.

A new systematic review of this phenomenon found that about 15% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms after weaning off their medication. In 2 to 3% of those cases, symptoms were severe. The analysis confirms that these experiences are real, but perhaps occur less frequently than recent estimates based on online surveys have indicated. STAT's Nalis Merelli has more on the review and its surprising findings about what happened to placebo groups in the studies reviewed. 

emergency preparedness

Pandemics, past & future

"There is no way to know what will cause the next pandemic or when it will be," STAT's Helen Branswell tweeted last month. "But that there will be more pandemics is a biological given." Awesome! With that in mind, there are two First Opinion essays today that are worth your time:

  • Did we learn anything from our attempts to curb the Covid-19 pandemic? Two medical professors claim that, no, we didn't. Eran Bendavid and Chirag Patel studied epidemiological data to determine the effectiveness of various Covid-19 policy responses. They found that about half the time, government policies were followed by better Covid-19 outcomes — but the rest weren't. Read more.
  • Okay … then what do we do about the next pandemic? Two former governors — Asa Hutchinson of Ark. and Deval Patrick of Mass. — beat an old drum, writing that federal support, local leadership, effective coordination, and actionable data are all critical to states in times of emergency. Read more.
More around STAT
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What we're reading

  • 'I could bench-press 100kg. Now, I can't walk': Lucy's life with long Covid, The Guardian

  • Psychedelics companies see FDA panel's vote as a growth opportunity, not a roadblock, STAT
  • Biden threatens VA budget veto over abortion, gender-affirming care, Marine Corps Times
  • Appeals court overturns Sutter Health's victory in $400 million antitrust case, STAT

Thanks for reading! More tomorrow,

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