A new study published in JAMA Network found that maternal influenza vaccination during pregnancy was not significantly associated with the risk of immune-related health outcomes, such as asthma or infections; nonimmune–related outcomes such as neoplasms or sensory impairment; or nonspecific health outcomes such as emergency visits or hospitalizations.

Critically ill patients who exhibit symptoms of unhealthy alcohol use can become agitated when receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU. A study published in the February 23, 2021 issue of JAMA showed that high-dose baclofen can prevent alcohol withdrawal–related agitation.

In the United States, 77% of all UTIs and 79% of all community acquired pneumonias (CAP) are treated inappropriately in the hospital setting, according to an expert panel convened by the Pew Charitable Trust in 2018 to evaluate antibiotic use in hospitals. The panel’s findings, which were published in a March 18, 2021, report, revealed that fluoroquinolones were used inappropriately 47% of the time, and vancomycin was used inappropriately 27% of the time.

Older adults with functional impairments may be at a higher risk of medical cannabis use, as well as prescription opioid and tranquilizer or sedative misuse, suggests new research published in the online edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

As health care providers know, overuse of antibiotics is associated with a host of problems—from intestinal infections and other adverse effects to the development of resistant strains of bacteria. However, “delayed prescribing” promises to temper this trend.