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Div. of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road
MS D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3286
Fax (404) 639-7394 |
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Synopsis for September 8, 2000
MMWR articles are embargoed until 4 p.m. E.S.T. Thursdays.
- Early-Onset Group B Streptococcal Disease, United States, 19981999
- Receipt of Advice to Quit Smoking in Medicare Managed Care United States, 1998
Notice: Effective September 7, 2000, the MMWR website will move to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr.
Synopsis for September 8, 2000
Early-Onset Group B Streptococcal Disease, United States, 19981999
More cases of early-onset GBS disease can be prevented with improved implementation of current prevention strategies.
PRESS CONTACT:
Stephanie Schrag, D.Ph.
CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases
(404) 6394646 |
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Despite recent progress, healthcare providers are still missing opportunities to prevent life-threatening infections in
newborns. The bacteria group B streptococcus (GBS) causes 2200 bloodstream infections each year in babies less than 1 week old. Antibiotic
treatment during labor can prevent women at risk from transmitting GBS to their newborns. A review of birth histories of babies with GBS disease
in 1998 and 1999 showed that only 21% of women who had newborns with GBS disease received antibiotics during labor. Most of these did not
receive the antibiotics sufficiently in advance of delivery. Women did not receive antibiotics for a number of reasons, including lack of
prenatal screening and failure to identify risk factors. Better implementation of prevention guidelines and educating pregnant women about the
risk for GBS will lead to fewer cases.
Receipt of Advice to Quit Smoking in Medicare Managed Care United States, 1998
Older smokers are at greater risk for smoking-related disease such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and
respiratory disease.
PRESS CONTACT:
David Arday, M.D., M.P.H.
Health Care Financing Administration
(202) 6906145 |
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A study released by CDC and HCFA shows that 13% of Medicare recipients are current smokers, and only 71% received advice
to quit smoking in the past year. Medicare managed care enrollees are more likely to visit a physician or health care provider than other
smokers, so there are increased opportunities for intervention, yet these opportunities are not being fully utilized. Medicare managed care
recipients who smoke are potentially at greater risk for smoking-related diseases than non-medicare recipients because they are older, have
smoked longer, and tend to be heavier smokers. Smokers who quit can improve their health and enhance their quality of life even if they stop
smoking late in life.
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