The College of Urgent Care Medicine
Urgent Updates are highlights of guidelines from other groups, reviewed by Urgent Care physicians. These highlights represent the actual intent of these articles and how they relate to the practice of Urgent Care medicine.
Acute Severity Versus Long-term Morbidity: Uncoupling the Roles of RSV and HRV in Childhood Respiratory Disease This retrospective cohort study compared RSV and HRV in hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory tract infections, analyzing 722 cases with 36-month follow-up. RSV was associated with greater acute illness severity (more pneumonia, fever,...
>> Read MoreRapid Respiratory Microbiological Point-of-Care Testing and Antibiotic Use in Primary Care – A Randomized Clinical Trial The primary outcome — same-day antibiotic prescribing — was identical in both groups at 45%, demonstrating no overall benefit of RM-POCT. The authors conclude that an RM-POCT testing only for viruses and atypical bacteria is...
>> Read MoreWHO Announces the Development of Recommendations on New Oral Antibiotics for the Treatment of Gonorrhea The WHO announced the development of new clinical recommendations for emerging oral antibiotics to treat gonorrhea amid rising global antimicrobial resistance and declining effectiveness of current standard therapies. The focus includes novel agents such as...
>> Read MorePsilocybin in the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder – A Randomized Clinical Trial In this randomized, quadruple-blind trial, 40 adults with cocaine use disorder received either a single dose of psilocybin or active placebo, combined with structured psychotherapy. Participants treated with psilocybin had significantly more cocaine-abstinent days, higher rates of...
>> Read MoreNIH-Funded Study Lays Foundation for Antibody-Based Measles Treatment. Researchers identified the first comprehensive group of human antibodies capable of neutralizing the measles virus, targeting both the hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) proteins. Several antibodies demonstrated potent antiviral activity in animal models, with one reducing viral levels to undetectable levels even...
>> Read MoreRapid Respiratory Microbiological Point-of-Care Testing and Antibiotic Use in Primary Care – A Randomized Clinical Trial This randomized clinical trial evaluated whether rapid multiplex respiratory microbiological point-of-care testing (RM-POCT) in primary care could reduce antibiotic prescribing for patients with acute respiratory tract infections. Among 552 patients, the intervention did not...
>> Read MoreAdjunctive Betamethasone Treatment of Hypoxemic Adults Hospitalized with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Community-Acquired Pneumonia: An Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial This study suggests that adding corticosteroids to standard antibiotic therapy may improve clinical outcomes, particularly in severe CAP, by reducing inflammation and disease progression. The benefit appears most pronounced in patients with...
>> Read MoreConsumer Understanding of Skin Concerns With an AI-Powered Informational Tool This study evaluated if AI-based dermatology tools improve how consumers interpret skin conditions and make care decisions. In a large survey study of over 2,300 participants, use of an AI application significantly increased users’ ability and confidence in identifying skin...
>> Read MoreAllergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA)-EAACI Guidelines—2024–2025 Revision: Part II—Guidelines on Oral and Ocular Treatments The guideline compares major medication classes, including oral antihistamines (OAHs), leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), and ocular therapies, to guide optimal treatment selection. Overall, OAHs are preferred over LTRA, and intranasal corticosteroids (from prior...
>> Read MoreFDA Fast Tracks Intra-Articular GLP-1RA for Knee Osteoarthritis The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track designation to an investigational intra-articular GLP-1 receptor agonist for knee osteoarthritis, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic approach. Early data suggest GLP-1–mediated anti-inflammatory effects and possible cartilage protection, though clinical outcomes remain...
>> Read MoreChildren Face Nearly 90-Day Wait for Pediatric Dermatology Appointments Across the US Children in the U.S. face median waits of nearly 90 days to see pediatric dermatologists, even for common conditions like eczema, acne, and hemangiomas. Limited workforce and uneven geographic distribution contribute to these long delays. Prolonged wait times...
>> Read MoreNational Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data This found that pediatric sepsis represents a significant burden in U.S. hospitals, affecting a meaningful proportion of pediatric admissions and contributing to substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. Using clinical indicators such as infection and organ dysfunction allowed researchers...
>> Read MoreIncidence of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest on a Post-holiday Weekday A nationwide South Korean cohort study of 203,471 adult out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases found that the first weekday after a holiday had a 9% higher incidence of OHCA compared with other weekdays. The increased risk was particularly notable after ≥2...
>> Read MoreDiagnosing Urinary Tract Infection in Young Febrile Children in the Emergency Department This study externally validated UTICalc version 3.0, a race‑neutral clinical prediction tool to estimate the probability of urinary tract infection (UTI) in febrile children 2–24 months old presenting to the emergency department. At a 5% UTI risk threshold, the combined...
>> Read MoreParental Misidentification and Potential Mismanagement of Dermatophytosis: Insights from a Nationwide Survey of Mothers, United States, 2025 This study surveyed U.S. mothers of children under 18 to evaluate how well they recognize and manage dermatophytosis (ringworm), a common fungal skin infection. Nearly half correctly identified ringworm, but many misidentified other...
>> Read MoreMeasles update: US tallies 982 cases The CDC reports a significant rise in confirmed measles cases in the U.S., with 982 cases so far in 2026 across 26 jurisdictions and 2,281 cases in 2025, including numerous outbreaks, most of which are outbreak-associated. Vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarteners has fallen below...
>> Read MoreAnn Arbor Guide to Triaging Adults with Suspected Urinary Tract Infection for In-Person and Telehealth Settings A multidisciplinary expert panel used the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method to develop clinical algorithms guiding for adults with suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) presenting by phone, telehealth, or in‑person. The resulting triage recommendations stratify patients...
>> Read MoreCorticosteroids in Acute Asthma Care in Children: What, Why, And When The editorial reviews evidence supporting early use of corticosteroids in acute asthma exacerbations in children, emphasizing that prompt systemic corticosteroids (usually oral) within the first hour of care—often alongside inhaled corticosteroids—significantly reduce hospital admissions, symptom duration, and relapse risk....
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