Why we do clinical trials
We ' ve all gotten sick of the Resident ' s constant boasting about the greatness of his intellect. Axios has a roundup compiled in January. It ' s too long to reproduce, but highlights include:ISIS:" I know more about ISIS than the generals do. " (November 2015.) Trade:" Nobody knows more about trade than me. " (March 2016.)The U.S. government system: " [N]obody knows the system better than I do. " (April 2016.)Renewable energy:" I know more about renewables than any human being on Earth. "(April 2016.)Taxes:" I think nobody knows more about taxes than I do, maybe in the history of the world. " (May 2016.) Infra...
Source: Stayin' Alive - April 6, 2020 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
The Debacle of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin for COVID19
I discussed the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for patients with COVID19 on my March 27th edition of This Week in Cardiology Podcast.
This is an important topic not only because of the specifics of treating patients but also vital because it shows how easily human beings can be misled.
Here is a an edited transcript of my words:
A conversation I had with my Dad this week made me realize the seriousness of this matter. My Dad is a retired insurance executive with a background in electrical engineering.
He is smart, but I could not convince him that the evidence prompting people to advoc...
Source: Dr John M - April 5, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr John Source Type: blogs
TWiV 596: COVID-19 – an ounce of prevention
TWiV covers trials of hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19, and answers listener questions on blood tests for antibodies, cross-protection among coronaviruses, acquiring infection from food or the gas pump, face masks containing copper, and much more. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 596 (73 MB .mp3, 121 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show […] (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - April 3, 2020 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology convalescent plasma therapy coronavirus COVID-19 hydroxychloroquine pandemic SARS-CoV-2 viral viruses Source Type: blogs
Combating COVID-19 Misinformation with Disassociation
Matthew FeeneyDeadly misinformation spread across social media long before COVID-19 emerged, but amid the ongoing pandemic attempts to tackle such content are once again in the limelight. These efforts provide an opportunity for classical liberals to emphasize the importance of freedom of association and to prepare for discussions about how private institutions handle misinformation amid a crisis.Too often we think of the freedom of speech to be a freedom that protects speakers from government censorship. And while the freedom to speak is a necessary condition for a functioning liberal society it’s not the only fre...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - April 1, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Matthew Feeney Source Type: blogs
This treatment could save your life – COVID-19 and Convalescent Plasma Therapy
Ajay Kohli
Vinay Kohli
Chitra Chhabra Kohli
By CHITRA CHHABRA KOHLI MD, AJAY KOHLI MD, and VINAY KOHLI MD, MBA
With a doubling time of cases estimated between 3 days within the U.S. and about 6 days globally (at the time of this writing) COVID-19 is demonstrating its terrifying virulence as it spreads across the world.
What’s perhaps equally terrifying, if not more, is the absence of a known cure or treatment plan for COVID-19. While there has been a lot of attention focused on Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin, there has been debate on the scientific validity of these treatment options, either as thera...
Source: The Health Care Blog - March 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Christina Liu Tags: COVID-19 Patients Physicians Ajay Kohli Azithromycin convalescent plasma therapy coronavirus COVID-19 treatment hydroxychloroquine Pandemic Vinay Kohli Source Type: blogs
Hydroxychloroquine and Covid-19
(Source: EverythingHealth)
Source: EverythingHealth - March 28, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: blogs
“Thank You for Your Sacrifice”: De Facto Rationing Based on Snake Oil Pitches
by Craig Klugman, Ph.D.
Dale is a 45-year-old woman who lives in Southern California. She has been a patient of Kaiser- Permanente to treat her chronic illness, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She takes hydroxychloroquine (brand name Plaquenil) which is the safest and most effective drug to control her disease. The drug helps control flare ups of her lupus, a situation that could cause serious illness and even death.
Dale provided Buzzfeednews with a copy of a message she received from Kaiser that informed her that her prescription would no longer be renewed.… (Source: blog.bioethics.net)
Source: blog.bioethics.net - March 26, 2020 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Craig Klugman Tags: Clinical Trials & Studies Decision making Featured Posts Pharmaceuticals Politics Public Health Science #diaryofaplagueyear COVID-19 health communication Source Type: blogs
Azithromycin and COVID-19
ConclusionA small, preliminary COVID-19 clinical study reported complete clearance of virus after combined administration of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine as measured by realtime PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs. No study of azithromycin alone was conducted. Despite azithromycin's reputation as an antibacterial agent, scattered reports of in vivo and in vitro antiviral activity for this drug have been reported. (Source: Depth-First)
Source: Depth-First - March 24, 2020 Category: Chemistry Authors: Richard L. Apodaca Source Type: blogs
Coronavirus, Chloroquine, and “Off‐label” Use
Jeffrey A. SingerAt a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last week, President Trumpincorrectly told the press that the antimalarial drug chloroquine had already gone through the Food and Drug Administration ’s approval process for the treatment of COVID-19 infection:“They’ve gone through the approval process, it’s been approved and they did it, they took it down from many, many months to immediate.” He was later corrected by the FDA Commissioner, who said the approval process had not and will not be completed until controlled clinical trials have convin ced the agency.Many people might therefore conclude that d...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 23, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs
Viruses Are Not Quite Alive and Not Quite Dead, and Other Things to Know About COVID-19
What they are capable of is replicating and adapting, and each virus has a unique way of doing that. Viruses are programmed to detect particular surface proteins or channels on the outside of a cell, and make their way in via the favored route.
A Cellular Doorway
For COVID-19, the favorite avenue to cellular entry appears to be the ACE-2, or angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, receptor. This part of the cell plays a role in regulating blood pressure. Major areas of the body that produce high amounts of cells with ACE-2 receptors include the lungs, the heart and the GI tract.
Cells within the lungs contain type 2 pneumocytes w...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - March 20, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Coronavirus COVID COVID-19 Source Type: blogs
Hydroxychloroquine reduces viral load in COVID-19 patients
Chloroquine (and a derivative, hydroxychloroquine) has been used for years in the treatment of malaria. The drug is also known to block the entry of many viruses into cells. A small clinical trial has revealed it to be effective in reducing viral loads in COVID-19 patients. Entry of enveloped viruses into cells requires fusion of […] (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - March 19, 2020 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information antiviral chloroquine coronavirus CoV COVID-19 hydroxychloroquine malaria SARS-CoV-2 viruses Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 30-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 30-year-old woman is evaluated during a follow-up visit for systemic lupus erythematosus. She was diagnosed 3 months ago after presenting with pericarditis and arthritis. She was initially treated with prednisone, 40 mg/d, with improvement of her presenting symptoms. The prednisone has been tapered over 3 months to her current dose of 10 mg/d with no recurrence. She also takes vitamin D and a calcium supplement.
On physical examination, vital signs are normal. BMI is 25. Cardiac examination is normal. There is...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - June 23, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
The Short-Term And Long-Term Outlook Of Drug Coupons
In the October 2014 Health Affairs article, “Specialty Drug Coupons Lower Out-Of-Pocket Costs And May Improve Adherence At The Risk Of Increasing Premiums,” Catherine Starner and coauthors explore the relationship between drug coupons and specialty drugs. Specialty drugs, primarily injectables and biologics, are costly drugs used to treat complicated, chronic conditions that typically require special handling, administration, and monitoring. Starner et al. report that specialty drugs have an average monthly cost to patients and payers of about $3,500.
In their innovative study, Starner et al. find that nearly half of t...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - November 12, 2014 Category: Health Management Authors: Lara Maggs and Aaron Kesselheim Tags: All Categories Comparative Effectiveness Consumers Health Care Costs Insurance Medicaid Medicare Payment Pharma Policy Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 56-year-old woman with Sjögren syndrome
A 56-year-old woman is evaluated during a follow-up visit for a 6-year history of Sjögren syndrome treated with low-dose hydroxychloroquine and cyclosporine eyedrops. She has had two episodes of cutaneous vasculitis, which resolved with corticosteroids.
On physical examination, temperature is 36.4 °C (97.6 °F), blood pressure is 116/64 mm Hg, pulse rate is 72/min, and respiration rate is 18/min. Oral mucous membranes are dry. There is a new firm, left parotid gland enlargement without tenderness or warmth, reported by the patient to be progressive over several months, with asymmetry of the parotid glands.
Laboratory stu...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 5, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Conditions Cancer Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
