On July 31st, 2014, the FDA announced that they would be taking two steps to ensure the reliability of diagnostic tests. First, the FDA has issued guidance on the development of in vitro diagnostic companion devices. These are tests designed to be used in conjunction with a medication to identify patients who may or may not benefit from the treatment. … Read More
Case Report: Misdiagnosis of Adverse Effect Leads to Prescribing Cascade
A 70-year-old man fell, resulting in subdural hemorrhage and frontal lobe contusions (bleeding in his brain). He was admitted to the ICU, where lab results showed two interesting facts: he had unusually high levels of salicylate in his blood and X-ray imaging showed opaque material in his colon. He was self-administering donepezil, calcium carbonate, alendronate, pravastatin, ezetimibe, omeprazole and perindopril. … Read More
Chronic Conditions Affect Quality, Length of Life
Average life expectancy in the United States is actually rising more slowly than in other parts of the developed world and the culprit may be chronic conditions. As people live longer, thanks in part to improvements to acute care, they become more likely to develop chronic conditions such as heart disease or cancer. This means that further breakthroughs in life … Read More
Single Accreditation Standard for MD’s, DO’s
Most physicians in the United States hold a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD), however, a second type also exists: the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). The differences between the two are slight and mostly focus on how they are trained. Now, however, that difference shrinks even more. In February 2014, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), American Association of Colleges of … Read More