Opinion | My Patients Are My Heroes
I was standing outside the patient room, feeling slightly restless that day. A few days earlier, I had received some news from my doctor that I was not expecting. My mind sifted through the various possibilities and directions this could take me. When will I get to see my doctor to discuss this? What does […]
How Far Will Texas Ruling Scrapping ACA’s Free Preventive Care Go?
A federal judge in Texas ruled earlier this week in favor of plaintiffs comprising several employers in the state that argued an employer’s insurance should not be required to cover the cost of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), used to reduce HIV transmission, when such a requirement violated the employer’s religious beliefs. The ruling handed down by […]
BP Lowering in Pregnant Women Continues to Take Shape
SAN DIEGO — Standard practice has changed since a major trial revealed earlier this year that treating mild hypertension in pregnant women helps them without hurting their children. Nevertheless, questions about the particulars of this approach arose during a discussion at the annual Hypertension meeting hosted by the American Heart Association. In April 2022, the […]
What to Know About the New BA.2.75 Omicron Subvariant
Even as BA.4 and BA.5 continue to climb the charts, crowding out earlier Omicron subvariants, scientists are warning about an even newer strain: BA.2.75. Tom Peacock, PhD, a virologist at Imperial College London, tweeted on June 30, “worth keeping a close eye on BA.2.75 — lots of spike mutations, probable second generation variant, apparent rapid […]
Timing of heart surgery crucial, research shows
Valve replacement heart surgery should be performed earlier than conventionally thought for people with aortic stenosis — according to new research from the University of East Anglia. The condition is one of the most common and serious valve disease problems, caused by a narrowing of the aortic valve opening. Once patients develop symptoms such as […]
Kansas State Senator Implies Bill on Controversial COVID Therapies Passed
In a letter sent to hospitals and healthcare clinics earlier this week, Mark Steffen, MD, a state senator from Kansas, seemed to suggest a bill that would remove restrictions on the use of treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 had already passed. “With the recent passage of Senate substitute for HB 2280 … there […]
Don’t Wait, Ablate to Prevent VT Episodes After an ICD Shock?
WASHINGTON — Researchers made a strong case that earlier was better when it comes to catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) in people with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs). After a first ICD shock, 23 patients with ischemic or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy soon underwent radiofrequency VT ablation and ended up with 4% incidence of worsening heart failure […]
Opinion | Can You Be Held Liable for Prescribing Opioids in Good Faith?
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that will impact how doctors can treat patients where opioids are involved. The threshold question in Ruan v. United States, which came to the Supreme Court from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, is when the care a doctor provides […]