Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Contaminated Scopes Pose Risk Of Bacterial Infection Despite Cleaning
A doctor reported in December that a medical scope commonly used to examine patients' lungs had infected 14 people with a superbug that kills half its victims. Yet another type of scope, used to see inside the bladder, sickened three patients with a different bacteria in March, according to a nurse. The device was sent to the manufacturer, which found "foreign substances" inside despite cleaning. (Petersen, 8/2)
Drug users are testing opioids that are less prone to abuse than current drugs. David Crow of the Financial Times tells NPR's Rachel Martin the drugs could also boost profits for pharmaceutical firms. (8/2)
Vaccines remain one of the greatest success stories in public health. But for some Americans, rare side effects of inoculations have led to hardship, serious injury, even death. For almost three decades, the federal government has quietly acknowledged as much: It has paid out more than $3.2 billion to 4,150 individuals and families for injuries caused by everything from flu, diphtheria and tetanus shots to whooping cough vaccines. (Seipel, 8/2)
