Think You Have COVID? Here’s The Best Way To Test Yourself Now.
agrobacter via Getty Images Data shows we should be testing ourselves for COVID later than we might think. It’s that time of year again. Upper respiratory infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID are rising — and we’re only just getting started. The signs and symptoms of these infections can be quite similar […]
‘Yellow’ Blood Products Come With VTE Risk, Study Finds
SAN FRANCISCO — Surgeons should be extremely judicious in ordering fresh frozen plasma (FFP) as part of perioperative blood transfusions, suggested a nationwide analysis reported here. Post-operative rates of both venous thromboembolism (VTE) and mortality were significantly higher in patients receiving FFP along with red blood cells, relative to those transfused only with red cells, […]
Should ‘Site Neutrality’ Be Used to Set Payments? MedPAC Members Disagree
Should “site neutrality” — the idea of paying the same rate for the same service no matter where it is provided — be applied when it comes to setting Medicare payment rates? Nope, says Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) member Lynn Barr, MPH. “I don’t think ‘site-neutral’ is neutral,” Barr, of the Barr-Campbell Family Foundation […]
5 Things Doctors Never, Ever Do During Cold And Flu Season
Edwin Tan via Getty Images There are a few habits you should avoid if you don’t want to get sick this year. Cold and flu season is approaching. As the months get colder and folks are indoors more often, these respiratory illnesses often spread in close quarters. Flu activity begins to increase in October and […]
IMRT Best for Locally Advanced NSCLC, Study Suggests
SINGAPORE — Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) should be the radiation technique of choice for unresectable locally advanced non-small lung cancer (NSCLC), a secondary analysis of a randomized trial suggested. In the study, IMRT resulted in similar survival outcomes compared with 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), but with less severe lung toxicity and radiation exposure to the […]
This Product Claims To Ease Period Pain. Here’s What Doctors Think.
Charday Penn via Getty Images Experts say there are a few considerations you should make before trusting any new period pain treatment. If you’re one of the estimated 80% of women who experience painful periods every month, a condition known as dysmenorrhea, there’s a good chance you’ve tried something, anything, to get some much-needed relief. […]
Masking Approaches in Healthcare Should Be Reconsidered, Experts Say
Healthcare facilities should reconsider their approaches to masking, a group of public health experts argued. “As health care systems navigate this next phase of the pandemic, different approaches could be considered that place patient safety first and integrate masking as part of routine health care policies,” wrote Eric Chow, MD, MPH, of the University of […]
Data researchers connect diet to changes in the microbiome
“Should I be taking a probiotic?” is a question that Maggie Stanislawski, PhD, assistant professor in the University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI), gets asked often. The answer is complicated. Every person’s gut microbiome is unique, and many probiotic supplements sold in grocery stores may not effectively bolster gut health for everyone, she […]
Psychedelics for Cancer Stress; Sweet Anticancer Plan; Obesity and Ovarian Cancer
Oncologists should “stop prevaricating and explore the use of psilocybin … and other psychedelics to ease the often overwhelming distress faced by women with late-stage gynecological cancers,” a panel of experts urged in an editorial in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. Harnessing the anticancer potential of a naturally occurring sugar could provide a new […]
Here’s What You Should Do Immediately After You Get A Sunburn
Eleganza via Getty Images While getting a sunburn should never be a goal, it does happen from time to time — especially for folks with fair skin. When spending time outside, it’s important to do what you can to avoid getting a sunburn. The skin damage that occurs can cause problems like skin aging and […]