Antibiotic Stewardship

By Hippo Urgent Care RAP Team
on September 11, 2023

Can you be a good steward of antibiotics and maintain high levels of patient satisfaction? It depends! 

As we move into cold and flu season, we know the number of patient antibiotic requests  will be on the rise. 

We all know the  importance of antibiotic stewardship and the impact of inappropriate antibiotic use. We also know the significance of patient satisfaction, especially in urgent care medicine. This begs the question: Can you be both a good steward of antibiotics and maintain a high level of patient satisfaction? 

We recently asked our Instagram followers whether or not they felt like antibiotic prescribing was linked to patient satisfaction. Here’s what they said:

Exploring Non-Opioid Pain Treatments in the Urgent Care

Treating acute pain is a challenge we face during every urgent care shift. We’re all aware of the devastation that the opioid crisis has had on millions of people worldwide. And this epidemic - marked by addiction, overdose, and unintended consequences - has highlighted the need for alternative treatments to manage pain.

As clinicians, we regularly encounter patients wanting or expecting opioids to treat their pain. For years, opioids were the go-to option. We’ve since learned that even short-term opioid  prescriptions can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction, making them a potentially risky choice for pain management.¹ However, not all providers are comfortable or possess the knowledge to discuss safer and more effective alternatives to opioid medications.

The Fight Against the Tripledemic: Key Vaccine Updates for Fall

With Fall comes the start of cold and flu season. Whether you work in a family medicine clinic, urgent care, emergency department, pediatric office, or specialty clinic, you can’t escape the nasty viruses that cause upper respiratory infections and wreak havoc on our immune systems. 

SNOT this Season RSV

By Jen Swisher, PA-C
on September 06, 2023

If you’re on the frontlines of the emergency department, you’ve probably noticed the uptick in respiratory infections and viruses in the early kick-off to 2023’s respiratory season.

As we brace for fall and winter, it looks like we’ll have additional tools in our arsenal to decrease complications and hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): adult vaccines and a monoclonal antibody for all infants.

Three different vaccines will be available this season to combat viral respiratory symptoms and threats: 

• An updated Covid booster 
• The annual influenza vaccines
• Two adult RSV vaccines

Additionally, there will be another RSV monoclonal antibody option for our tiniest patients. Phase 3 trials and regulatory approval are underway for maternal vaccines and passive immunity protection for newborns.

Let’s dive into these tools now.

Preceptor Pearls: Take CARE with Chest Pain

By Katy Vogelaar
on August 15, 2023

In our May blog post, we introduced you to the CARE acronym (Common, Atypical, Rare, Emergent) to help students formulate differential diagnosis. Over the next few months, we want to apply the CARE acronym to some chief complaints. We hope this will be helpful to you as you’re precepting students. Share this blog post and graphics with them during their next shift! 

Fentanyl Test Strips: Coming to an ED Near You

We are all learning how to be good stewards of prescription opioids which has resulted in a significant downward trend in dispensing rates over the past decade. However, the number of fatal overdoses due to fentanyl continues to rise. ​​

Attention Pediatricians: Fulfill Your DEA Requirement Here!

By Karen Hovav, MD
on August 09, 2023

Everyone’s buzzing with the news of the DEA’s new opiate training requirement for healthcare providers. That’s right - as of  June 27th, 2023, any physician who applies for DEA renewal needs to certify completion of an 8-hour, one-time training on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance-use disorders. 

How to Study for the Peds Certifying Exam

The countdown to October is on! You’ve already applied for the American Board of Pediatrics General Pediatrics Certifying Exam and are probably in the midst of studying.