News in brief - Aug. 29, 2011

Low-income men at greater risk for HIV infection

HIV prevalence among low-income heterosexual men living in cities with high levels of the disease is 10 to 20 times greater than the nation's overall infection rate, says a study in the Aug. 12 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Researchers examined data on 14,837 heterosexual men age 18 to 50 who lived in 24 metropolitan areas that participated in the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System from 2006 to 2007. Researchers found that 2% of respondents were infected with HIV, compared with 0.1% to 0.2% of all noninjection drug-using heterosexual men in the U.S. (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6031a1.htm).

Prevalence was higher among those who did not finish high school, were unemployed and had incomes below the poverty level than in employed heterosexuals with higher levels of income and education.

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Newborn screening should include test for critical congenital heart disease, study says

A noninvasive test that measures the levels of oxygen in a person's blood should be added to the newborn screening tests to check for critical congenital heart disease, said a study published online Aug. 22 in Pediatrics.

A group was convened in January to examine data on the effects of screening for the condition in newborns. The group consisted of primary care physicians; specialists, including neonatologists; and representatives from medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The experts recommend using pulse oximtery monitoring to screen newborns who are between 1 and 2 days old for critical congenital heart disease (pediatrics.aappublications.org/site/misc/2011-1317.preprint.pdf.

Babies that test positive for the condition should be evaluated for other causes of hypoxemia. If another cause is not identified, a diagnostic echocardiogram should be performed on the newborn.

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