Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

28 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT Asthma drug reduces risk of COVID-19 hospitalization by 90%, study suggests By Gabrielle Masson I nhaled budesonide, a drug commonly used to treat asthma, reduced the risk of urgent care or hospitalization for COVID-19 patients by 90 percent, according to a University of Oxford study. Researchers analyzed data from a 28-day clinical study of 146 patients, half of which took inhaled budesonide — sold as AstraZeneca's Pulmicort — twice a day. The drug cut the risk of urgent care or hospi- talization by 90 percent within the study period and was also tied to a "quicker resolution of fe- ver, symptoms, and fewer persistent symptoms." The study findings were published Feb. 4 on the medRxiv preprint server. The study has yet to be peer reviewed. n Joint Commission starts public reporting of 2 perinatal care measures By Mackenzie Bean T he Joint Commission on Feb. 1 began publicly reporting hospitals' performance on two perinatal care measures. The first assesses Cesarean birth rates, while the second measures unexpected complications in term newborns. The Joint Commission is reporting all accredit- ed hospitals' performance on these measures through its Quality Check website. The Joint Commission delayed public reporting of these measures in March 2020 due to COVID-19. The organization also made it optional for hospi- tals to report quality data for the fourth quarter of 2019. As a result, some hospitals that did not submit this data may not be included in the public reporting of these measures. n Seattle Children's Hospital cancels 1.3K vaccine appointments over equal access concerns By Gabrielle Masson S eattle Children's Hospital canceled 1,300 COVID-19 vaccine appointments amid access equity concerns, reported CNN. People wanting to be vaccinated at Seattle Children's were able to sign up Feb. 2 via MyChart, which most often requires an exist- ing patient relationship with the hospital. "Shortly after releasing appointments, we decided we needed broader communication to the greater public of available vaccine appointments as we want to achieve the widest reach possible," the hospital said in a Feb. 4 statement to CNN. Many officials have said the already limited vaccine supply is not being distributed proportionally to Black and Latino communi- ties, according to CNN. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee reiterated during a Feb. 4 news briefing that providers must not give preference to people when scheduling vaccine appointments. Seattle Children's notified those affected by the cancellations and will offer future vaccination appointments through its public website, reported CNN. n Schizophrenia significant risk factor for COVID-19 death, study finds By Mackenzie Bean P eople with schizophrenia are nearly three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those without the psy- chiatric condition, according to a study published Jan. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City analyzed patient records for 7,348 adult COVID-19 patients treated at NYU Langone Health between March 3 and May 21, 2020. Fourteen percent of patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia, mood disorders or anxiety. Researchers found people with schizophrenia had a 2.7 times higher chance of dying, representing the second-largest risk factor behind age. People ages 75 and older had a 35.7 times higher risk of death. Patients with mood or anxiety disorders did not have a higher death risk, researchers said. "Our findings illustrate that people with schizophrenia are extremely vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19," lead author Katlyn Nemani, MD, a research assistant professor in the psychi- atry department at NYU Langone Health, said in a news release. "With this newfound understanding, healthcare providers can better prioritize vaccine distribution, testing and medical care for this group." n

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