Despite existing recommendations, blood culture is overused in patients with suspected, uncomplicated cellulitis, according to a research letter published April 2 in JAMA Internal … [Read more...]
PUBLIC HEALTH
HCV Screening Rates Very Low Among Exposed Infants
May 29, 2018
The number of pregnant women infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is growing rapidly due to the opioid epidemic, yet most prenatally infected children are not being screened, despite the risk that … [Read more...]
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Home-Based Hospital Care Model Cuts Lab Utilization
May 29, 2018
Hospital care is notoriously expensive and potentially risky for older adults. There is interest in the home-hospital concept where acute services are provided in a patient's home, with the hope of … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
Men Undergo Hereditary Cancer Testing Less Frequently Than Women
May 29, 2018
Unaffected men undergo genetic cancer testing at half the rate of unaffected women, according to a research letter published April 26 in JAMA Oncology. This disparity in testing is attributable to a … [Read more...]
EMERGING TESTS
Current Testing Criteria Miss Breast Cancer Mutations
May 28, 2018
Women who do not meet breast cancer genetic testing criteria have a similar number of cancer-associated mutations as women who do meet the criteria, according to two separate studies presented at the … [Read more...]
EMERGING TESTS
Genetic Risk Score Could Improve Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation
May 14, 2018
A genetic risk score (GRS) may identify patients at highest risk for developing atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published March 13 in PLOS Medicine. The authors say that patients with a … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
Methods for Reanalysis of Exome Sequencing Emerging
April 24, 2018
Clinical whole-exome sequencing (WES) offers diagnosis for approximately 30 percent of patients, but it has exponentially increased the number of variants identified—many of which are of unknown … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
Quality Improvement Effort Cuts Peds Inpatient Electrolyte Testing
April 24, 2018
A multifaceted quality improvement intervention can significantly and rapidly cut electrolyte testing among pediatric inpatients, according to a study published April 4 in Pediatrics. Furthermore, the … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
Testing Guidelines at a Glance
April 10, 2018
New Recommendations Simplify Testing for Chronic Kidney Disease In late February, The National Kidney Foundation, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and leading laboratories and clinical … [Read more...]
GENETIC TESTING
Racial Disparities in Access Reduce Utility of Genetic Testing
March 27, 2018
Underrepresented minorities (URM) are less likely to receive a diagnosis from genetic testing for cardiomyopathy and are more likely to receive inconclusive testing results, compared to whites … [Read more...]
