Posts Tagged ‘pneumonia’

The commonly used pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines do not appear to be effective for preventing pneumonia, found a UK and Swiss study. In many countries, including the US, pneumococcal vaccines are given primarily to people over the age of 65 and those with certain chronic diseases. The current study reviewed 22 prior studies and found that when only high quality studies were included, there was no evidence that pneumococcal vaccines could prevent pneumonia. However, some critics are warning that further research is needed prior to changing current vaccine policies.  For now the study adds to the ongoing debate around effectiveness of the vaccine.

Read more and share your opinion.

The US Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) is now making death rates for pneumonia, heart attack, and heart failure at US hospitals available online at their Hospital Compare website. The website was launched in 2005 in hopes that hospitals will improve quality of care if they are able to compare themselves with other hospitals. According to HHS, the mortality rates have been adjusted to take into account how sick each patient is. Is this information helpful to patients? Some believe that death rates don’t necessarily measure the quality of care hospitals provide. However, most agree that giving the public more information on hospital performance is, in general, a good thing. Full story.