While the water crisis in Flint, Mich. dominated headlines at the beginning of the year, that city is not alone in concerns over lead harming young children. Over the past four decades, blood lead … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
Lead Testing Under-Used; Geographic Variability in Elevated Levels Can Target Testing
July 14, 2016
Genotyping Reveals Relevant, Incidental Pharmacogenomic Findings
July 14, 2016
Clinically relevant pharmacogenomic findings are seen in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping and exome sequencing data, according to a study published in Genetics in Medicine. These … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGIES
C. Diff Screening at Admission Can Cut Hospital- Acquired Infection
July 13, 2016
Detecting and isolating Clostridium difficile (C. diff) carriers upon admission to the hospital can a significantly decrease the incidence of health care-associated C. diff infection (HA-CDI), … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
USPSTF Updates Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines to Include Molecular Test
June 21, 2016
By Lori Solomon, Editor, Diagnostic Testing & Emerging Technologies The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) added molecular colorectal cancer (CRC) screening to its newly updated guidelines, … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
Can Colorectal Screening Incorporate Adherence into Guidelines?
June 7, 2016
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF’s) draft recommendations for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening acknowledge there are several viable screening options that can accurately detect … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
Is HCV Birth Cohort Testing Broad Enough?
June 7, 2016
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly prevalent in patients seeking care in urban emergency rooms, according to two separate studies that each demonstrate a prevalence of approximately 14 … [Read more...]
GENETIC TESTING
Large Panels Complicate Results Reporting for Breast Cancer Risk
June 7, 2016
Increasing the number of genes evaluated in individuals undergoing assessment for breast or ovarian cancer risk through large panels or whole exome sequencing (WES) does not increase the rate of … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
Nonfasting Lipids OK for Initial Testing; Labs Urged to Use ‘Desirable’ Cut-Offs to Flag Results
June 7, 2016
Non-fasting lipid profiles are recommended for most patients, including for cardiovascular risk assessment, according to a joint statement published by the European Atherosclerosis Society and … [Read more...]
UTILIZATION MANAGEMENT
Utility of Post Op Lab Testing Questioned for Some Gynecologic Patients
May 6, 2016
Routine postoperative laboratory testing may be unnecessary in some gynecological patients, according to two abstracts presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s (SGO’s) Annual Meeting on … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
Low Histopathologic Agreement for DCIS, Atypia Breast Cancer
May 6, 2016
Pathologists disagree with one another’s interpretations about 8 percent of the time when diagnosing a single breast biopsy slide, according to a study published March 22 in the Annals of Internal … [Read more...]
