HIV diagnosis rates still have room for improvement
New York residents may be interested to learn that, according to US Centers for Disease Control study, many Americans live with HIV for some time before getting diagnosed. What makes this study surprising is that this includes Americans who regularly visit their doctor.
Teens at risk from misdiagnoses of throat infections
Parents of teenagers in New York may want to be alert for complaints of sore throat from their kids. Serious sore throats that require a trip to the doctor could be caused a type of infection that many doctors don’t test for. If this infection goes untreated, it could lead to serious illness or even be fatal.
Pneumonia and lung cancer
As cold and flu season comes to New York, people might also want to be on the lookout for symptoms of pneumonia. Pneumonia is a tricky disease that can be cured in a matter of weeks or, in some cases, can be fatal. For people who have lung cancer, pneumonia is a greater risk, and sometimes its symptoms can be missed because they can be mistaken for those associated with lung cancer. Symptoms that lung cancer and pneumonia share include persistent cough, shortness of breath, low energy and loss of appetite. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, fungi or a virus.
Psychosis can complicate Alzheimer’s diagnoses
Throughout New York and the rest of the nation, Alzheimer’s disease is often misdiagnosed. A misdiagnosis can come in the form of a false positive, when doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s in patients who don’t have it, or a false negative, when doctors fail to detect the condition in a patient. A recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translation Research and Clinical Intervention reveals how psychosis complicates matters.
Delays in cancer treatment can devastate patients and families
People who have cancer often suffer from a lot of pain and other effects due to the nature of the disease. Early detection and swift treatment are two priorities when it comes to cancer.
Eating disorders and immune systems diseases
Parents in New York who are concerned about the effects eating disorders can have on their children should know that authors of a study have determined new associations between eating disorders and immune system diseases. They believe that these links may be useful in diagnosing and treating the diseases.
Registered nurses could prevent drug errors in nursing homes
New York families who have elderly relatives living in nursing homes may be interested to learn that, according to a study, registered nurses are more equipped to identify medication order discrepancies than licensed practical nurses. These mistakes often occur when patients are being moved between hospitals and different nursing homes.
4 skin conditions a dermatologist says are commonly misdiagnosed
Patients in New York and across the country often visit a doctor when they notice an unusual blemish or spot on their skin. Some skin imperfections are nothing more than sun spots or acne. However, others may indicate something requiring immediate attention. If initial signs of skin cancer or similar conditions are overlooked, a delay in treatment could have serious consequences for patients.
2 diagnostic tests proven to reduce preterm birth complications
It’s a sad reality that not all pregnancies end at nine months with a healthy bundle of joy. For parents of babies born with birth complications, the normally celebratory event is often mitigated by worries and fears over the medical uncertainties that lie ahead for their newborns.
Surgeons don’t always follow error disclosure rules
A New York surgeon who makes a mistake is supposed to inform the patient of that error. However, a survey published in JAMA Surgery found that some surgeons only follow some national guidelines related to disclosing such an error. The survey involved more than 60 surgeons who worked at various VA medical centers. Of the eight national guidelines for error disclosure after a surgery, most who participated in surgery said that they followed five of them.