Mucus

Each week CDC calculates a lower estimate and an upper estimate of flu-related hospitalizations that have occurred since the beginning of the season (October 1, 2023). These are updated each week and are compared to end-of-season estimates of flu-related hospitalizations from previous flu seasons. Limitations The estimates of the preliminary, cumulative burden of seasonal influenza are subject to several limitations: The cumulative rate of lab-confirmed flu-related hospitalizations reported during the season may be an underestimate of the rate at the end of the season because of identification and reporting delays. Rates of lab-confirmed flu-related hospitalizations are adjusted for the frequency of flu testing and the sensitivity of flu diagnostic assays. However, data on testing practices during the current flu season are not available in real-time. To make these estimates, CDC uses data on testing practices from the past flu seasons as a proxy. If more testing is being don...

There's no cure for a common cold, but some over-the-counter medicines may alleviate symptoms. The best cold and flu medicine depends on your symptoms. Pain medication, for example, can treat a sore throat, aches, and fever. Decongestants help alleviate a stuffy nose, while expectorants can treat a runny nose. Various viruses may cause a cold, the most common being rhinoviruses. Influenza viruses, in contrast, cause the flu. Common cold and flu symptoms include a cough, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, fever, and sore throat. It's no surprise people spend hundreds of millions of dollars on over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicine annually. However, few cold and flu remedies are likely to influence the course of illness if you are already sick. That said, some actually work. Read on to learn about the best cold and flu medicines. jeffbergen / Getty Images The best cold and flu medicine will depend on your symptoms, including a runny or stu...

Chest congestion is when you have a lot of phlegm in your chest that won't come up—no matter how hard you cough. You can get rid of this mucus in your chest by using home remedies like hot steam, soup, and certain medications. These and other remedies can relieve chest congestion. However, it's important to note they are not cures for the infection responsible for the mucus production in your chest. Here's what you need to know, including when to see a healthcare provider about chest congestion. Getting moisture into the air with a humidifier can be a helpful home remedy for chest congestion. It doesn't work for everyone, but it's worth a try as long as you use it safely, Alan Mensch, MD, a pulmonologist and senior vice president of medical affairs at Northwell Health's Plainview Hospital in Plainview, New York, told Health . However, it's crucial to use humidifiers safely. Humidifiers can breed mold and fungi, which can cause other infect...

Abstract Respiratory infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa , common in hospitalized immunocompromised and immunocompetent ventilated patients, can be life-threatening because of antibiotic resistance. This raises the question of whether the host's immune system can be educated to combat this bacterium. Here we show that prior exposure to a single low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) protects mice from a lethal infection by P. aeruginosa . LPS exposure trained the innate immune system by promoting expansion of neutrophil and interstitial macrophage populations distinguishable from other immune cells with enrichment of gene sets for phagocytosis- and cell-killing-associated genes. The cell-killing gene set in the neutrophil population uniquely expressed Lgals3 , which encodes the multifunctional antibacterial protein, galectin-3. Intravital imaging for bacterial phagocytosis, assessment of bacterial killing and neutrophil-associated galectin-3 protein levels together with use of galect...

Data highlights One in 31‎ On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. From the National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report At the national level, among acute care hospitals there were significant decreases observed for VAE (19%), MRSA (16%), CAUTI (12%), CLABSI (9%) and CDI (3%) between 2021 and 2022. No significant changes were observed for SSI-COLO and SSI-HYST between 2021 and 2022. Highlights of 2022 state performance compared to the 2015 national baseline SIR of 1 from acute care hospitals: 50 states performed better on at least two infection types 8 states performed worse on at least two infection types From the HAI Hospital Prevalence Survey On any given day, about 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. Patients in the 2015 HAI Hospital Prevalence survey were at least 16% less likely than patients in the 2011 survey to have an...

Infants don't have the antibodies to fight most colds and gastrointestinal infections. This makes them more likely than older kids and adults to get sick. "In the first year, babies come down with about six to 12 infections, most lasting seven to 10 days," says Mary Anne Jackson, MD, a pediatric expert at Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics in Kansas City, Missouri. "That's up to 120 days of the year they may be sick." During those first few months, a rectal temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit warrants an automatic call to the doctor. And if your baby is under 1 month old, they may need readmission to the hospital. "For that reason, we'd love to keep newborns from becoming sick," says Theoklis Zaoutis, MD, associate chief of the division of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. But, unfortunately, that's not always realistic. So what's a new parent to do? Keep reading to learn ...