Past Updates from the Clinician Listserv

Update September 13, 2010

COCA’s Weekly Updates are disseminated every other week (biweekly). More frequent distributions will occur when there is emergency information or event-specific updates to share. The next COCA Update is scheduled for September 27, 2010.

The following updates were made to CDC information and guidance from August 31 – September 13, 2010. If you have any questions on these or other clinical issues, please write to us at coca@cdc.gov.

Today's topics Include:

Upcoming COCA Calls
2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
H1N1 & Seasonal Influenza Resources
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Food & Drug Safety

Other Resources

Upcoming COCA Calls

Title: Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia ColiInfections: What Clinicians Need to Know
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Call Number: 877-918-3038
Passcode: 1180634
Shiga toxin-producing Escherchia coli can cause severe enteric infections and the potentially life threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and prompt diagnosis of these infections is important to implement early clinical management. Leading expert in infectious disease medicine will provide guidance on how to effectively manage patients with STEC. Continuing Education Credits are being offered for this call!
For more information on this call visit: http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2010/callinfo_091610.asp

Title: Impact of Deployment on the Health of Service Members and Their Families – Why Clinicians Should Ask
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Call Number: 888-810-3147
Passcode: 1237697
This COCA Conference Call will address the impact of deployment on the health of those who deploy and on their families. This call will emphasize the clinical importance of knowing a patient’s upcoming or prior deployment history, focusing on examples of important behavioral health issues. Subject Matter Experts will discuss how impending and past deployment may impact a patient’s health, how deployment may impact a patient’s family’s health, and potential strategies clinicians may use to identify deployment-related health issues. Continuing Education Credits are being offered for this call!
For more information visit: http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2010/callinfo_092110.asp

Title: Coordinating Pediatric Medical Care Across a Community During An Influenza Pandemic
Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Time: 3:00PM – 4:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Call Number: 888-810-9641
Passcode: 7228444

The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic increased the need for public health and healthcare partners to concentrate response and preparedness efforts in pediatric populations. In 2009, CDC convened a meeting with pediatric clinicians and community emergency planners to create resources for those caring for a large number of pediatric patients during an influenza pandemic.
Join subject matter experts as they highlight challenges that private practices and hospitals may face in preparing for an increased volume of pediatric patients. This webinar will address strategies and tools to help clinicians plan for and respond to pediatric emergency care across a community. This COCA Call will use a webinar format. Continuing Education Credits are being offered for this call!
Participate by Web Conferencing
Direct Access: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW4291018&p=7228444&t=c

In the event that you cannot access the web portion directly use:
URL: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/
Conference ID: PW4291018
Audience Passcode: 7228444
For more information visit: http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2010/callinfo_092210.asp

2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

Updated: Health Surveillance - CDC (Sept 3)
The Gulf Coast Oil Spill has the potential to affect human health in addition to the effects already seen on animal and marine life. CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track the potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill in the affected communities.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/2010gulfoilspill/health_surveillance.asp

Updated: CDC Responds - CDC (Aug 31)
CDC regularly updates this website with details about the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill response.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/cdcresponds.asp

For more information and additional Healthcare Professionals resources visit: http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/health_professionals.asp

H1N1 & Seasonal Influenza Resources

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine- Total Doses Distributed – CDC (Sept 10)
This table reflects the weekly total number of seasonal influenza vaccine doses distributed in the US as reported to CDC by influenza vaccine manufacturers.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/vaccinesupply.htm

How Flu Spreads – CDC (Sept 10)
People with flu can spread it to others up to about 6 feet away. Most experts think that flu viruses are spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth or nose.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm

Estimating Seasonal Influenza-Associated Deaths in the United States: CDC Study Confirms Variability of Flu- CDC (Sept 8)
CDC feels it is important to convey the full burden of seasonal flu to the public. Seasonal flu is a serious disease that causes illness, hospitalizations, and deaths every year in the United States. CDC estimates of annual influenza-associated deaths in the United States are made using well-established scientific methods that have been reviewed by scientists outside of CDC.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm

Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools during the 2010-2011 School Year – CDC (Sept 7)
This document provides seasonal flu recommendations for K-12 schools for the 2010-2011 school year.
For the purpose of this guidance, "schools" will refer to both public and private institutions providing grades K-12 education to children and adolescents in group settings.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/guidance.htm

How To Clean and Disinfect Schools To Help Slow the Spread of Flu – CDC (Sept 7)
This guide gives K-12 schools tips on how to clean to help slow the spread of seasonal flu. A Spanish version is also available.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/cleaning.htm

What You Should Know and Do this Flu Season If You Are 65 Years and Older – CDC (Sept 7)
This document provides seasonal flu recommendations for adults 65 years of age and older.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/65over.htm

Influenza Vaccination Information for Health Care Workers – CDC (Sept 2)
This document provides lists of facts and recommendations for health care workers concerning the flu and vaccinations.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/HealthcareWorkers.htm

CDC Statement on Discontinued Use of Pandemrix Influenza Vaccine in Europe – CDC (Sept 1)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has become aware of recommendations made by the Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) to discontinue vaccination with Pandemrix, an adjuvanted H1N1 influenza vaccine, while an investigation is conducted looking into the observed rise in cases of narcolepsy among children and adolescents, mainly in Sweden and Finland.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/h1n1_narcolepsy_pandemrix.html

Questions & Answers

Seasonal Influenza – CDC (Sept 10)
Update of Seasonal Influenza Q&A
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/disease.htm

What’s new about the flu vaccine for the 2010 – 11 flu season? – CDC (Sept 10)
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/fluvax_whatsnew.htm

The Flu: Caring for Someone Sick at Home – CDC (Sept 10)
Learn what you can do to help your family this flu season. A Spanish version is also available.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/homecare/

2009 – 2010 Influenza (Flu) Season – CDC (Sept 9)
Update on 2009-2010 Influenza (Flu) Season
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/current-season.htm

Update to Misconceptions about Seasonal Influenza and Influenza Vaccines Q&A – CDC (Sept 9 )
Update to Misconceptions about Seasonal Influenza and Influenza Vaccines Q&A

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/misconceptions.htm

Locate all H1N1 Flu and Public Health Guidance Documents
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Program cuts red tape for volunteer health professionals – HHS (Sept 7)
Using new national website before a disaster saves time when every minute counts. To make volunteering in an emergency easier for health professionals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response launched a national website for the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP).
ESAR-VHP is a national network of state-based programs that verifies the identity, licenses, and credentials of health professionals before an emergency happens. The HHS national ESAR-VHP website provides a single point of entry for potential volunteers, connecting them with each state’s ESAR-VHP program, so health professionals can volunteer quickly without losing time waiting to have their credentials verified.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/09/20100907a.html

BARDA funds development of new way to treat illness from acute radiation. Treatment could be used for other blood disorders and complications of cancer – HHS (Sept 1)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded a $153 million contract to Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc. of San Carlos, Calif., to continue developing a new way to treat an illness caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation which can damage the body’s cells – the type of radiation that would come from a nuclear blast.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/09/20100901a.html

BARDA funds drug development for biothreats, antibiotic resistance – HHS (Aug 30)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded a contract to develop an antibiotic that could be used against possible two types of bioterrorism as well as common infections that are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/08/20100830a.html

MMWR

MMWR Weekly - CDC (Sept 10)
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data in the weekly MMWR are provisional, based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. The following emergency preparedness and response related articles of interest were recently published:

September 10, 2010 / Vol. 59 / No. 35

To electronically subscribe to the MMWR, go to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr and enter your email address in the box entitled Get email updates or click on MMWR Subscriptions.

Food & Drug Safety

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts - FDA (Sept 13)
For information on recent FDA recalls, market recalls, and safety alerts please click on the following link:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm

FDA Steps Up Inspections Under New Egg Rule – FDA (Sept 4)
Over the next 15 months, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators will team up with state and local partners to visit about 600 egg producers—those with 50,000 or more laying hens—to determine if their facilities are in compliance with an egg safety rule that went into effect in July as part of an effort to prevent future outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm224979.htm

FSIS Reaches Out To Spanish-Speaking Consumers with the Launch of New Online Tools – USDA (Sept 1)
In a continuing effort to reach more consumers and educators with food safety information, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) launched Pregúntele a Karen (Ask Karen), and the FSIS Spanish language Twitter feed. These new features are meant to further prevent foodborne illnesses and promote food safety by reaching out to a broader audience of consumers.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_090110_01/index.asp

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