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What your patients are reading: Week of October 30, 2023

November 3, 2023

Hot tub safety back in the spotlight after Matthew Perry's death

Matthew Perry's cause of death at 54 is still unknown pending a toxicology report and further investigation, but the safety of hot tubs in general has long been the focus of scrutiny. Nearly 45 years ago, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission began warning that using hot tubs at water temperatures above normal body temperature can cause drowsiness, which may lead to unconsciousness and drowning. Experts recommend not heating water above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, limiting soaking to less than 15 minutes, and sitting on the edge of the hot tub for several minutes before walking away instead of standing up abruptly. (Pawlowski, 2023)

The American Cancer Society recommends more people get screened for lung cancer

The American Cancer Society updated its lung cancer screening recommendations this week, expanding the population of current and former smokers who should be screened for it every year, starting at age 50. The new age range for testing is now between 50 and 80 vs. the previous age range 55 to 74. Screening eligibility for former smokers has also increased. ACS estimates an additional 5 million Americans should be scanned with a low-dose CT scan under the new guidelines. (Noguchi, Webber, 2023)

Does Japan have the best new COVID drug?

Ensitrelvir (Xocova), a drug made by the Osaka-based pharmaceutical company Shionogi, was conditionally approved in Japan last November. Like Paxlovid, ensitrelvir works by blocking an enzyme that the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to clone itself inside the human body. Current research (not all of which has been peer-reviewed) shows that people with COVID who take ensitrelvir test negative about 36 hours faster than people who take a placebo. Fever, congestion, sore throat, cough, and fatigue resolve about a day earlier, too. However, ensitrelvir likely won't be available in the U.S. this year. The drug is currently in the FDA approval pipeline, awaiting another round of clinical trials that may run well into 2024. (Gutman-Wei, 2023)

How a lucrative hernia repair gained popularity online and disfigured patients

Component separation procedures—technically difficult and risky procedures recommended only for large or complex hernias that are difficult to close—have increased in recent years. Medicare pays at least $2,450 for a component separation, compared with $345 for a simpler hernia repair. A New York Times investigation finds that many surgeons, including some who taught themselves the operation by watching videos on social media, may be endangering patients by attempting these operations when they aren't warranted. (Kliff & Thomas, 2023)

FDA looks into death of university student who consumed Panera Bread's Charged Lemonade

The FDA said recently that its “gathering information” about the death of Sarah Katz, 21, an Ivy League student previously diagnosed with long QT syndrome type 1, who a lawsuit alleges died in September 2022 after she consumed a highly caffeinated lemonade from Panera Bread. Katz consumed Panera’s Charged Lemonade, a large cup of which contains more caffeine than Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, according to a lawsuit her family filed this week. The lawsuit alleges that Panera failed to properly warn consumers about the ingredients in this “dangerous energy drink,” which contains guarana extract and caffeine, and the large size contains the equivalent of almost 30 teaspoonfuls of sugar. (Chuck, 2023)

Sources:

Pawlowski, A. (2023, October 30). Today. Matthew Perry's death in hot tub puts spotlight on drowing risk. https://www.today.com/health/news/matthew-perry-hot-tub-drowning-risk-rcna122766

Noguchi, Y and Webber, D. (2023, November 1). NPR. The American Cancer Society says more people should get screened for lung cancer. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/01/1209889964/lung-cancer-screening-guidelines-updated

Gutman-Wei, R. (2023, October 25). The Atlantic. Americans Don't Get to Have the Best New COVID Drug. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/10/xocova-ensitrelvir-covid-antiviral/675768/

Kliff, S. and Thomas, K. (2023, October 30). The New York Times. How a Lucrative Surgery Took off Online and Disfigured Patients. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/health/hernia-surgery-component-separation.html

Chuck, E. (2023, October 25). NBC News. FDA says it is looking into the death of a college student who drank Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/panera-fda-charged-lemonade-death-university-pennsylvania-sarah-katz-rcna122110