Celeb Accused of Assaulting Nurse; 24M New Dementia Cases; Inappropriate Prescribing

Note that some links may require registration or subscription.

Actress Selma Blair, who has multiple sclerosis, was accused of kicking a nurse at a hospital following an alleged assault of two flight attendants on a flight from Los Angeles to New York; her representative said the 54-year-old was experiencing a medical emergency. (AP)

Actor RJ Mitte, the disability-rights activist with cerebral palsy known for playing Walter White Jr. in the hit show “Breaking Bad,” died of suicide at age 34. (People)

In other celebrity health-related news, rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs — who is serving a roughly 4-year prison sentence for prostitution-related charges — was rushed to the hospital after suffering a head injury. (People)

A sixth measles-related death, involving a 39-year-old unvaccinated woman, has been reported in Pennsylvania. (NBC News)

Here’s what to know if you’re unsure about your measles immunity status. (NPR)

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania and New York’s Democratic governors have taken different approaches to fighting their measles outbreaks. (Politico)

About a fourth of pregnant women in the U.S. have opted to receive the maternal respiratory syncytial virus vaccine since its 2023 rollout, with one peer nation (Scotland) reaching as high as 50%. (Lancet Regional Health-Europe)

A meta-analysis in JAMA Neurology estimated 11.4 million new cases of all-cause dementia globally in 2023, with a projected increase to 24.7 million in 2050.

A woman seeking treatment in New Hampshire says she was left alone inside a ConvenientMD urgent care clinic after employees closed for the night. (WMUR)

Experts are urging parents to prepare their kids for the possible livestreamed execution of the Fort Hood shooter. (AP)

Supporters of “Medicare for All” now outnumber opponents nearly two to one, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll.

Emergency help for Christa Pike was delayed by confusion among first responders and Tennessee prison officials following her failed execution, according to 911 dispatch recordings. (AP)

Ongoing lawsuits allege GLP-1 drugs can cause serious harm. (NPR)

A JAMA Internal Medicine study suggested near therapeutic equivalence between phenobarbital and diazepam for alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Hospitals are again suing HHS over the agency’s plan to convert 340B drug discounts into a rebate system. (Healthcare Dive)

A study in JAMA found that urban hospitals are closing at the same rate as facilities in outlying areas.

Concerns about patient safety are growing as U.S. doctors age. (Washington Post)

Gifts, including meals, and payments from drugmakers to doctors increase inappropriate prescribing, according to a Cochrane review.

Scammers are stealing millions from recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (ProPublica)

Peter Piot, MD, PhD, who helped discover Ebola 50 years ago, is still worried about the lethal virus. (New York Times)

The World Health Organization launched a strategy aimed at preparing nations to be able to identify outbreaks within 24 hours.

Six Flags temporarily closed nine roller coasters across six amusement parks after one person died and several others were injured in Georgia. (The Guardian)