MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports
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Fall-related injuries are the leading cause of injury deaths and disabilities among older adults (i.e., persons aged > or = 65 years). The most serious fall injury is hip fracture; one half of all older adults hospitalized for hip fracture never regain their former level of function. In 1996, a total of 340,000 hospitalizations for hip fracture occurred among persons aged > or = 65 years, and 80% of these admissions occurred among women. From 1988 to 1996, hip fracture hospitalization rates for women aged > or = 65 years increased 23%. ⋯ Persons aged > or = 65 years constitute the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. Without effective intervention strategies, the number of hip fractures will increase as the U.S. population ages. Fall prevention programs have reduced falls and fall-related injuries among high-risk populations using multifaceted approaches that include education, exercise, environmental modifications, and medication review. These programs need to be evaluated among older adults aged > or = 65 years who are living independently in the community. In addition, secondary prevention strategies are needed to prevent hip fractures when falls occur. Effective public health strategies need to be implemented to promote behavioral changes, improve current interventions, and develop new fall prevention strategies to reduce future morbidity and mortality associated with hip fractures among older adults.
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recognizes the need for evidence-based policy to improve the delivery and receipt of immunization services recommended for adults (i.e., persons aged > or = 18 years). Two recent, systematic reviews of the health services research literature recommended standing orders programs as an effective organizational intervention to improve vaccination coverage rates among adults. This report briefly reviews the evidence on the effectiveness of standing orders programs, describes standards for program implementation, and recommends initiating these programs to improve immunization coverage in several traditional and nontraditional settings.
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Practice Guideline Guideline
Prevention and treatment of tuberculosis among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus: principles of therapy and revised recommendations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These guidelines update previous CDC recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) among adults and children coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States. The most notable changes in these guidelines reflect both the findings of clinical trials that evaluated new drug regimens for treating and preventing TB among HIV-infected persons and recent advances in the use of antiretroviral therapy. In September 1997, when CDC convened a meeting of expert consultants to discuss current information about HIV-related TB, special emphasis was given to issues related to coadministration of TB therapy and antiretroviral therapy and how to translate this information into management guidelines. ⋯ Adding to CDC's current recommendations for administering isoniazid preventive therapy to HIV-infected persons with positive tuberculin skin tests and to HIV-infected persons who were exposed to patients with infectious TB, this report also describes in detail the use of new shortcourse (i.e., 2 months) multidrug regimens (e.g., a rifamycin, such as rifampin or rifabutin, combined with pyrazinamide) to prevent TB in persons with HIV infection. A continuing education component for U. S. physicians and nurses is included.
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Practice Guideline Guideline
Measles, mumps, and rubella--vaccine use and strategies for elimination of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome and control of mumps: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
These revised recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on measles, mumps, and rubella prevention supersede recommendations published in 1989 and 1990. This statement summarizes the goals and current strategies for measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) elimination and for mumps reduction in the United States. Changes from previous recommendations include: Emphasis on the use of combined MMR vaccine for most indications; A change in the recommended age for routine vaccination to 12-15 months for the first dose of MMR, and to 4-6 years for the second dose of MMR; A recommendation that all states take immediate steps to implement a two dose MMR requirement for school entry and any additional measures needed to ensure that all school-aged children are vaccinated with two doses of MMR by 2001; A clarification of the role of serologic screening to determine immunity; A change in the criteria for determining acceptable evidence of rubella immunity; A recommendation that all persons who work in health-care facilities have acceptable evidence of measles and rubella immunity; Changes in the recommended interval between administration of immune globulin and measles vaccination; and Updated information on adverse events and contraindications, particularly for persons with severe HIV infection, persons with a history of egg allergy or gelatin allergy, persons with a history of thrombocytopenia, and persons receiving steroid therapy.
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Practice Guideline Guideline
Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These recommendations update information concerning the vaccine and antiviral agents available for controlling influenza during the 1998-99 influenza season (superseding MMWR 1997;46[No. RR-9:1-25]). The principal changes include a) information about the influenza virus strains included in the trivalent vaccine for 1998-99, b) more detailed information about influenza-associated rates of hospitalization, and c) updated information on the possible relationship between Guillain-Barre syndrome and influenza vaccination.