Recently, doctors and other medical experts have been questioning whether Americans have been receiving excessive amounts of medical treatment. At first glance, additional laboratory tests
In the latest nationwide hospital rankings, New York’s hospitals have fallen from 40th place to 47th. A recently released ranking of hospitals across the country
Recent controversy over prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer has left many men confused. In May 2012, a report was released with new government guidelines regarding PSA testing. The guidelines discouraged the use of the blood test that looks for PSA in high levels as an indication of prostate cancer. This controversial statement has been challenged by many medical professional who reassert the need for this testing.
In the new guidelines, the concern was that with routine PSA testing, men were being unnecessarily treated for small tumors that were not life-threatening. With treatments such as surgery to remove the tumor and radiation therapy, patients sometimes risk complications for a tumor that would have been fine if left alone. This study found that only about one out of 1,000 men would survive prostate cancer because of a PSA test discovery.
The recommendation was met immediately with opposition from many doctors and cancer survivors. They warned that skipping PSA testing might be more dangerous than having the testing done. They also felt that the new guidelines were irresponsible because there was no other testing method more effective than PSA testing for men.
On behalf of Daniel C. Minc A leading hospital in the U.S. found that incorrect dosage, labeling and other medication mistakes are prominent during surgery.
A new app can help diagnose infant jaundice. This could help reduce the risk of complications that can lead to cerebral palsy and brain damage.
Engineers and physicians with the University of Washington have recently developed a smartphone application that can detect the presence of jaundice in newborns in a matter of minutes. Researchers and developers of the app are careful to note that the tool is not yet an official test, but instead could indicate that a blood test is needed.
To use the app, a photo is taken of the infant with a color calibration card. The photo is then analyzed using a special algorithm and a report is sent to the parent’s phone. Although it is best to rely on the result of a blood test for an official diagnosis, the innovative app does bring renewed attention to a condition that can have tragic complications.
