Researchers found that preterm infants who received an 800 IU daily dose of vitamin D had better bone density and vitamin D blood levels after four weeks, as well as improved growth associated with significantly lower odds of developing very low bone density, compared with those who took 400 IU of vitamin D daily. The findings in PLOS ONE were based on data involving 32 babies born from 24 to 32 weeks of gestation.

A study in JAMA Neurology found the 2HELPS2B model accurately predicted seizure in critically ill patients, based on data from 5,427 continuous electroencephalography tests in 4,772 patients. The scoring system includes six variables: brief (ictal) rhythmic discharges; presence of lateralized periodic discharges, lateralized rhythmic delta activity or bilateral independent periodic discharges; sporadic epileptiform discharges; prior seizure; frequency above 2 Hz for any periodic or rhythmic pattern; and presence of "plus" features such as superimposed, rhythmic, sharp or fast activity.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said US hospitals and pharmacies might encounter drug shortages in the next two to three weeks because most Puerto Rico pharmaceutical plants are operating at partial capacity due to problems with the power supply and poor access to materials after Hurricane Maria. Gottlieb said it's unclear when drugmakers will be able to return to full manufacturing capacity, and he asked drugmakers to be more transparent about the problems they are facing.

Eric Hargan, who served as deputy HHS secretary under President George W. Bush, was named by President Donald Trump to serve as acting secretary of the department.

Most health care organizations said they intend to either expand patient access to providers through telemedicine or increase the number of served specialties despite reimbursement and technology integration concerns, according to a CHIME and KLAS Research report. The report also showed that patient convenience was among the top telehealth benefits cited by organizations, with virtual care platforms mainly used for on-demand and consumer-focused visits, scheduled and patient-focused visits and telespecialty consults.

Oregon Health & Science University worked with technology firm Vynca to give clinicians electronic access to the 172,000 active Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment forms in the state, regardless of where they were filed. Since the registry went active on June 1, it has been used almost 14,000 times.