Clinical

Coverage from the 64th Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology.

Findings of a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology show that 95% of inpatients at a VA hospital in Minneapolis with an incorrect or indeterminate diagnosis, were given inappropriate antibiotics, as opposed to 38% who were accurately diagnosed, yet administered incorrect medication.

Data presented at the American Urological Association in New Orleans show a 50% drop in PSA testing in the years since the USPSTF issued its controversial D recommendation. Some see a "chilling" effect, but not all see a problem.

Large data sets like SEER need better quality control checks and researchers and clinicians who use these data sets should also consider using secondary data analyses that answer specific research questions. This is the advice of a senior urologist following the removal of the PSA data.

The findings in Diabetes Care served as early confirmation of what some had feared: a bifurcated Medicaid system will lead to an American of haves and have-nots in healthcare.

An evidence review supports a proposed USPSTF recommendation to update how the healthcare system screens for prediabetes.

Major professional and advocacy groups back legislation to create access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

With the right support, community providers can offer an effective approach to promoting population health and preventing chronic disease.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital, found that complications associated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomies were higher in low-volume hospitals, with relatively inexperienced staff.

The CDC's director of the Division of Diabetes Translation discusses the scientific evidence that supports the need for both lifestyle interventions and population-level efforts to combat type 2 diabetes in the United States.

Studies offer insights for patients with atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes mellitus, with more results to come.

Karen Davis, director of Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care at Johns Hopkins University, says increasing resources available for home treatments and services and support for family caregivers of the elderly and those with debilitating diseases might work to reduce reliance on costly nursing homes for those afflicted.

The FDA said it had received 20 reports in the 15 months since the first of the SGLT2 inhibitor class was approved, and had continued to receive reports since that time. All drugs in the class were included in the safety communication.

The study, published in Cancer, found a 14% higher rate of obesity among childhood cancer survivors in their surveyed population, compared to the federal numbers.

Venous thromboembolism during or after recent hospitalization for medical illness contributes a substantial economic burden to society across all hospital and ambulatory care delivered.

In his own words, "The practice of evidence-based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research."

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released new reference standards that could help diagnostic laboratories standardize their equipment and software to reduce variability in genetic test results between laboratories.

If adopted, the active surveillance threshold would give physicians a tool in the management of men with localized prostate cancer and could spare many aggressive therapy or radiation and its side effects.

Raising awareness of the dangers of mouth and throat cancer increased the number of black men in some of Florida's poorest counties who sought screening for the first time, which could improve survival rates through early detection and treatment.

What one type 1 diabetic has learned from living and coping with diabetes for 42 years.

While the marketing of the first biosimilar to be approved in the US market, Zarxio, has been delayed due to a court order, the FDA is providing guidance to manufacturers to help them effectively navigate the process of product development.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania tested interventions on smokers who worked to quit either on their own or in teams, with different reward structures.

Yesterday, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) lifted the embargo on nearly 5000 abstracts that will be presented at ASCO's 51st Annual Meeting to be held in Chicago, May 29-June 2. The results from a few of the studies were released via a presscast that saw participation by the chair of ASCO's clinical communications committee, the current ASCO president, and the ASCO president-elect.

The study, conducted by the Global eHealth Unit at the Imperial College London, has found that the majority of insulin dosing apps are unreliable and put patients at risk of getting incorrect doses of insulin. Does this demand an FDA oversight of the apps?

The prices for new hepatitis C and cancer treatments are driving the cost of prescription drugs to new highs for more Americans, according to a new report, which found that 9 of 10 patients with drug costs of $50,000 or more used specialty drugs.

If all 12.7 million US youth with obesity become obese adults, the individual cost on average is just over $92,000, and the societal costs over their lifetimes may exceed $1.1 trillion, according to findings from the Brookings Institute.

A study published in the Journal of Surgical Research has found that surgeons are focusing on life-enhancing procedures for late-stage cancer patients. In their follow-up on 22,000 late-stage cancer patients in the United States between 2006 and 2010, while the use of surgeries declined only slightly, doctors became more likely to restrict surgery to healthier patients.

The diagnostic test, developed by Biodesix, Inc, will help guide treatment decisions in patients with advanced lung cancer.

The "digital phenotype," a catch-all term for the trail of relevant health data people leave behind in their interactions with the internet, social media, and technology, has largely untapped potential for the early detection of various conditions.

The database will allow consumers, healthcare providers, and product manufacturers to access information tracked on medical devices, with the end goal of improving patient safety, improving device postmarket surveillance, and facilitating medical device innovation.