Misdiagnosis News and Research

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Extremes of stroke symptoms attract misdiagnoses

Patients with very mild or very severe stroke symptoms are at the greatest risk of being misdiagnosed in the emergency department, research suggests.

24 Jul 2015

Focal symptoms may be prognostic in generalised epilepsies

Symptoms consistent with focal seizures are often reported by patients who have idiopathic generalised epilepsies and are associated with a short duration of freedom from seizures, say researchers.

24 Jul 2015

Wilson Therapeutics supports BIG WOW event to increase awareness of Wilson's Disease

Wilson Therapeutics AB, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, today announced its sponsorship of the first annual Big Walk on Wilson's (BIG WOW). The event will take place on September 19, 2015 in sixteen cities across North America to increase awareness of Wilson's Disease and raise funds for the Wilson Disease Association.

17 Jun 2015

Innovative mini hybrid gamma ray camera improves removal of tumours and lymph nodes

Universities of Leicester and Nottingham to develop mini hybrid gamma ray camera to revolutionise identification and removal of tumours and lymph nodes

1 Jun 2015

Aldosterone/renin ratio reliable diagnostic tool in infant primary hypoaldosteronism

The ratio of aldosterone to renin in plasma is a reliable indicator of primary hypoaldosteronism in newborns and infants, say researchers.

27 May 2015

CORD calls upon governments, others to join forces to make Canada's Rare Disease Strategy a reality

Today, on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders released Canada's Rare Disease Strategy and called upon the federal, provincial and territorial governments along researchers, healthcare providers, educators, employers, and the patient community to join forces to make the Strategy a reality.

26 May 2015

Prediagnostic lung function impairment common in older asthma patients

Older adults with newly diagnosed asthma are not only more likely to have pre-existing lung function impairment than younger adults, but they also experience a more rapid decline of lung function, a Danish team reports in Respiratory Medicine.

21 May 2015

Novel computer-aided system developed for acute stroke detection

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has developed a novel computer-aided detection system for acute stroke using computer intelligence technology. Reading 80-100 computer images, the system is able to detect if the patient was struck by ischemic stroke or haemorrhagic stroke.

14 May 2015

Spirometry underutilized for asthma management in U.S. adults

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have found, for the first time, that spirometry was underutilized for asthma diagnosis and management in U.S. adults from 2001 to 2011, despite it's accuracy, cost effectiveness and the publication of national guidelines advocating its use.

5 May 2015

VisualDx tool aids physicians in diagnosing dermatologic conditions

In the first major study to examine the use of a computer-assisted, photo-driven differential diagnosis generator for skin conditions, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found physicians routinely used the tool, without an increase in calling for inpatient dermatology consultations.

23 Apr 2015

Therapists twice as likely to misdiagnose mental illness in patients from socially disadvantaged groups

The shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, MO, has ignited a global discussion about implicit racial bias. One group of people you might think would be immune from this hidden bias is clinical therapists, people trained to understand the human mind. But a new field study finds that the social identities of patients and their therapists affect the accuracy of the diagnosis: Therapists were twice as likely to misdiagnose mental illness when their patients were members of a disadvantaged, compared to an advantaged, group.

17 Mar 2015

Dengue fever circulating in urban areas of West Africa

Misdiagnosis of febrile illnesses as malaria is a continuing problem in Africa. A new study shows that in Ghana, dengue fever is circulating in urban areas and going undiagnosed. The authors of the study hope to use the findings to launch a widespread initiative to better understand acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses in West Africa.

3 Mar 2015

Novel image-analysis technique improves breast cancer detection and diagnosis

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have developed an image-analysis technique that is designed to improve breast cancer detection and diagnosis.

13 Feb 2015

Researchers develop new MRI-based technique to better detect NAFLD in children

Between 5 and 8 million children in the United States have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), yet most cases go undiagnosed. To help address this issue, researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based technique to help clinicians and researchers better detect and evaluate NAFLD in children.

6 Feb 2015

Study: Lyme disease costs the U.S. health care system up to $1.3 billion a year

Lyme disease, transmitted by a bite from a tick infected by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, had long been considered easy to treat, usually requiring a single doctor's visit and a few weeks of antibiotics for most people.

6 Feb 2015

Second opinions can optimize outcomes and avoid needless expenses

Mary Rockland was in a panic when she learned that she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Like many patients, she trusted her doctor when he told her that a lump in her breast was cancerous, and relied on his judgment when he recommended a bilateral mastectomy.

6 Feb 2015

New app for clinical detection of skin cancer launched on World Cancer Day

On World Cancer Day 2015, general practitioners, physicians and dermatologists in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia are being asked for their feedback during the advanced trial phase of a new, free app that has the potential to play a vital role in the clinical detection of skin cancer.

4 Feb 2015

Effective vaccine booster schedules needed to fight against whooping cough resurgence

A key to victory in battle, according to Chinese general and military strategist Sun Tzu, is to know your enemy. In the current fight against whooping cough resurgence, perhaps the biggest obstacle is an incomplete understanding of its underlying causes, according to a University of Michigan population ecologist.

20 Jan 2015

Stress can trigger diabetes, depression and other autoimmune diseases

Stress is an ability of humans to fight or flee when faced with problems affecting the individual. By changes in the organism, adaptation to various physical conditions is achieved: burns, bruises, bleeding or psychosocial traumas.

2 Jan 2015