HHS Announces the Availability of $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Provider Funding

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for healthcare providers affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic.

OCR Issues Guidance on HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations and the Workplace

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to help the public understand when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule applies to disclosures and requests for information about whether a person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.

High Oncotic Pressure Cardiopulmonary Bypass Priming with Human Albumin Improves Outcomes in Pediatric Open-Heart Surgery

Specialists at India’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital conducted a double-blinded, randomized controlled study to examine the impact of high oncotic pressure priming by the addition of 20 percent human albumin prior to the initiation of CPB

First-Line Intravenous Immune Globulin Monotherapy Evaluated in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy

The investigators concluded first-line IVIG monotherapy led to clinically relevant improvement in nearly one-half of IIM patients, the majority of whom experienced a rapid clinical response.

Subcutaneous Immune Globulin May Be a Treatment Option in Stiff Person Syndrome Patients Intolerant to Intravenous Immune Globulin

SCIG may be a reasonable and safe alternative for SPS patients who do not tolerate IVIG, with the caveat that allergic and injection site reactions can be a limiting factor for some patients.

Low Rate of Inhibitor Development in Previously Untreated Hemophilia A Patients Managed with Simoctocog Alfa (Nuwiq)

The investigators concluded PUPs treated with simoctocog alfa had a lower high-titer inhibitor rate than PUPs initially treated with hamster-cell-derived recombinant FVIII products.

Plasma Exchange May Slow Alzheimer’s Disease Cognitive and Functional Decline: Phase 2b/3 Clinical Study Findings

This trial suggests that plasma exchange with albumin replacement could slow cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer’s disease, although further studies are warranted.

Lower, More Frequent Dosing of IVIG-Dependent CIDP Patients Does Not Improve Efficacy or Safety in CIDP

The investigators concluded lower, more frequent dosing does not further improve the efficacy of IVIG in stable IVIG-dependent CIDP patients, or result in fewer side effects.

Low Serum Albumin Level Strongly Associated with Severe COVID-19

University of Toledo investigators conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether there may be an association between hypoalbuminemia and severe COVID-19.

Infection Rates in PI Patients Decline with Increasing IVIG Dosages and IgG Trough Level

Titrating the IgG trough level up to 960 mg/dL progressively reduces the infection rate in PI patients, but there is less incremental benefit above this trough level.