The Health division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry, is aiding clinicians in the battle against the rapidly spreading Zika virus through free online access to a number of its industry leading medical content and clinical decision support resources. First reported in Brazil in 2015, active Zika outbreaks have now been confirmed in at least 34 countries or territories.
The Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito. Other modes of transmission are also emerging, including sexual transmission by men infected with the virus. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Symptoms are usually mild, lasting for several days to a week. Patients typically do not get sick enough to require hospitalization, and rarely does the virus lead to death. However, there are reports of severe birth defects among babies born to infected mothers, the most common being microcephaly in which the baby’s head is smaller than expected. Evidence also indicates that the Zika virus is associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease which manifests as paralysis.
"Zika has quickly progressed from a single-country outbreak to being designated by the World Health Organization as a 'public health emergency with international concern,'" said Diana Nole, CEO, Wolters Kluwer Health. "By providing clinicians with complimentary access to our intuitive clinical decision support tools and trusted medical content, Wolters Kluwer is arming them with the information they need to effectively diagnose and treat those who become infected to limit the poor outcomes, especially among newborns."
Offerings from Wolters Kluwer Health include:
- Pre-defined Zika virus expert services on Ovid®
- On Lippincott NursingCenter®, a special Zika virus page and a patient education tool have been created, the latter of which can be found under "Related Reading."
- From Audio-Digest, a lecture on Zika by Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., FIDSA, FACP, FACEP, with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, that provides an update on what physicians and other healthcare professionals need to know about the infection at this stage of the outbreak. The lecture and other important information sources can be accessed here.
- Clinical Drug Information has added a virus monograph authored by the medical experts at UpToDate® to its Patient Education topics and "Zika Virus, Molecular and Antibody," a laboratory testing and diagnostic monograph. Both are accessible via Lexicomp® Online, Integrated Patient Education and Consumer Education Center.
- UpToDate has opened access to Zika virus infection and Patient information: Zika virus infection (The Basics). Both topics will be continuously updated as new information is revealed. Additional virus content is also available to UpToDate subscribers.
- ProVation® Order Sets powered by UpToDate Decision Support, has developed Zika virus order sets for use in pediatric, adult emergency and adult outpatient settings.
"Defeating this virus will take enormous effort by every stakeholder, including clinicians, nurses, pharmacists and even patients. With Wolters Kluwer’s tools and unmatched evidence-based solutions we are confident that the challenges will become a little less insurmountable," said Nole.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX:WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of €4.2 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide.
Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).
Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry.