hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
The CDC has posted a link to a "NEW Free Lyme Resource", a Lyme Disease continuing education course for clinicians developed by the IDSA. Follow the links from the CDC's website to the IDSA's website, with the Lyme Disease CE course.
Are the disclosure statements by the following contributors accurate?
(CDC's notice of a) Lyme Disease Continuing Medical Education for Clinicians
As a service to clinicians, CDC has supported the development of an online CME Case Study Course on the Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease.
This free, interactive course consists of a series of case studies designed to educate clinicians regarding the proper diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. Each case is accredited for .25 CME credits, for a maximum of 1.5 CME. There is no cost for these credits.
(IDSA's) Lyme Disease Case Study Course Based on the IDSA Guideline, "The Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplamosis, and Babesiosis"
Welcome to the Online CME Case Study Course for the Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease.
Introduction
Welcome to the IDSA Lyme Disease Case Study Course. This interactive course consists of a series of case studies and is based on the IDSA guideline ``The Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis.''
The case studies are designed to educate clinicians regarding the proper diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and also provide an opportunity to better understand the IDSA guideline. Additional references are included to enhance the learning experience.
The cases included in this course were written by expert faculty members, some of whom authored the guideline. Each case is accredited for .25 CME credits. To receive CME credit, the learner must complete at least 4 of the 6 cases, score 70% correct or higher on the post-test, and complete the evaluation. A letter of completion is also available for non-physicians.
Learning Objectives
At the completion of this course, participants will be better able to:
*Evaluate and diagnose Lyme disease *Utilize effective therapy to treat Lyme disease *Review and interpret the IDSA guideline ``The Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis.''
Faculty and Disclosures
AUTHORS
Janet Gilsdorf, MD, Professor and Director, Pediatric Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical Center; Nothing to disclose.
John Halperin, MD, Professor of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Expert testimony in medical malpractice cases related to Lyme disease.
Michael Lin, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Section of Infectious Diseases, Rush University Medical Center; Nothing to disclose.
Daniel Mendoza, MD, Infectious Diseases Fellow, Washington Hospital Center; Nothing to disclose.
Sunil Sood, MD, Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Northshore University Hospital; Nothing to disclose.
WORKGROUP
Edward Dominguez, MD, Medical Director, Methodist Transplant Physicians; Wyeth: Advisor/Consultant, Honoraria; Cubist & Astellas: Honoraria.
Durland Fish, MD, Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University; New York Medical College, CDC, USDA, G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation, NIH: Research Grants.
Aaron Glatt, MD, President and CEO, New Island Hospital; Nothing to disclose.
George Mejicano, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health; Nothing to disclose.
Eugene Shapiro, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology & Public Health, and Investigative Medicine, Yale University; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company: Reviewing claims of disability related to Lyme disease; Served as an expert witness in medical-malpractice cases related to Lyme disease; SUNY Downstate: Honoraria.
Allen Steere, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; NIH, The Dana Foundation, G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation, CDC: Research Grants/Contracts.
Gary Wormser, MD, Chief of Infectious Diseases and Vice Chair Department of Medicine, New York Medical College; Department of Justice: Expert testimony in a medical malpractice case related to Lyme disease; Retained in other medical-malpractice cases involving Lyme disease; NIH, Bio-Rad, and DiaSorin: Research Grants; NYMC Educational Grants: Merck, Astra Zeneca, and Pfizer.
Paul Mead, MD, Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Nothing to disclose.
MEDICAL EDITOR
Meri Pozo, PhD, GLOBEX; Nothing to disclose.
INDEPENDENT REVIEWERS
Paul Auwaerter, MD, Clinical Director, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Expert testimony in medical malpractice cases related to Lyme disease.
Harry Gallis, MD, Consulting Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center; Genentech: Advisor/Consultant; Fortis-Spectrum: Advisor/Consultant.
PLANNERS
Jennifer Padberg, MPH, Director of Clinical Affairs, Infectious Diseases Society of America; Nothing to disclose.
Rachel Shnekendorf, MPH, Senior Education Officer, Infectious Diseases Society of America: Nothing to disclose.
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Thanks for posting again.
One day I expect this to be seen in the history
books of their names appearing as those who
conducted the worst crime against humanity ever
assaulted.
Funny it should occur right at the USA's door stoop.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
One thing is for sure, what they are doing is definetly criminal. These ppl are highly regarded with many connections and they don't do one single thing to help us. They sit back in all their arrogance and "allow" the suffering to take place.
Instead of using their highly regarded positions to move in a positive direction to help thousands and probably millions of very ill ppl; they choose the path of harm; going totally against their hypocratic oath of "first do no harm".
These ppl are not healers. They are self centered and self absorbed and have no interest in using their positions to benefit anyone but themselves.
As Pinelady says......their actions are a crime against humanity!
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
IDSA's statement concerning this course:
"The cases included in this course were written by expert faculty members, some of whom authored the guideline. Each case is accredited for .25 CME credits.
To receive CME credit, the learner must complete at least 4 of the 6 cases, score 70% correct or higher on the post-test, and complete the evaluation. A letter of completion is also available for non-physicians."
Non-physicians can take this course and complete a course evaluation.
If you sign up for this course, please give a detailed report here.
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
I like that onbam. Obama chewed on the buddy-buddy
system of the oil companies-legislators-regulators today.
Dear Lord let us be next.
Let him chew on the drug companies-guidelines makers-CDC next please.
I watched the shuttle take off today in awe.
How can they send a ship into space at 7500MPH
and not stop this speeding train that is
railroading the people into the ground?
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Wait a minute. Am I reading some of this information correctly?
That is, those who do have disclosures ALL provide expert testimony in Lyme-malpractice suits? That certainly indicates a very strong animus towards the concept of late-stage, long-term treatments. And the other disclosure...someone who reviews disability claims related to Lyme?
I honestly can understand the idea that there are strong feelings about the nature of lyme and treatments. However, I do think there is a lot of evidence that some very serious illness strikes people, having a remarkably similar overlap in symptoms, that seem related to lyme disease (and significantly, other tick borne coinfections) that NO ONE has the answers to.
My impression here, though, is that these are individuals who bring a strong bias that the case is closed, anything other than their orthodoxy is complete junk and harmful.
I mean, hell. After 30 years of wide-use of SSRI's, the jury is still out on whether they are of much use to most people taking them. There is also a ton of good studies linking them to serious long term effects, to say nothing of the side effects (typically including suicidal behavior). Oddly, though, they are still prescribed like candy, often without any accompanying therapy. Many, many people are given these. And somehow, the same medical orthodoxy doesn't seem to have a problem with that. Oh, and in addition, I think it is far easier to get disability with a diagnosed mental illnesss than it is for lyme...even if you are laid so low you cannot stand up. I'm not diminishing the serious disabling that a mental illness can cause...but there's some serious cognitive dissonance in how this is approached.
Again, I think the debate is good. But the arrogance in their judgements completely ignores the seriousness and complexities of those who seem to have tick-borne illnesses.
If there's so much culpability for Lyme docs who 'misdiagnose' or 'mistreat' a 'non-existent' illness....where is the culpability for (for example) the 10+ doctors I saw before the lyme diagnosis who surely misdiagnosed me? I mean, I had 10 different doctors tell me 15 different things. Some quite serious. Then changed their minds. All with contradictory, and yes, sometimes dangerous drugs and treatments? I can surmise that I was misdiagnosed by them as well, because, well...they couldn't ALL have been right. Also, I kept getting sicker and sicker.
It just doesn't make sense.
Posts: 322 | From Venice, CA | Registered: Sep 2008
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Amanda
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14107
posted
Sadly, it makes perfect sense to me.
Financial conflicts of interest+ medical hubris+fear of lawsuits if admit wrongdoing=chronic lyme disease
-------------------- "few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" - Mark Twain Posts: 1008 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Yes the President is going to try to force BP to clean up their mess.....
I sure wish he would make the IDSA clean up theirs...Wow thats a thought...
BP held liable for at least 75 Million by law..
He looks to change that to the over 250 Million predicted to cover it...
We could take that 250 mil and treat a lot of patients who have been denied treatment....
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Why can't we pair up with the Drug Companies. Let them know how sick we are and that we think if they did more research they could help us and make some money at the same time.
We need someone with a big pocketbook. And the insurance companies have no incentive....but the drug companies do!! They could make quite a bit of money.
Just a thought!!
Posts: 893 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
The CDC must be proud. I did not see one doctor who is listed provide any information that he had treated one Lyme disease patient sucessfully.
A person with symptoms of varied sorts can learn more on this forum in a day than will learn taking this course.
Posts: 219 | From Aubur,Al. USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
needloh-sounds like a good idea. i think proving an active borrelia infection would revolutionize this disease. drug companies probably see no benefit as chronic lyme isnt real.
-------------------- sick since 9-09 igg, 18,23,41 reactive igm, 41 reactive Posts: 436 | From Kansas City | Registered: Jan 2010
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- onbam: "Lyme: The Holocaust in your Backyard." ---
It's not so much the lyme itself, as a good doctor could bring that under control with prompt and proper treatment for long enough.
It's the IDSA and CDC criminal action. People need to know the IDSA and CDC are far more dangerous than the actual disease would be if properly addressed. The IDSA doctors are the ones handing out the torture, debility and death sentences.
While Borrelia b. is one of the most toxic infections known to man, it's not the actual disease so much as the action of the IDSA and the CDC that constitutes crimes against humanity - a term that is never to be taken lightly but, nevertheless, is appropriate to this situation.
I live in a state where the state medical board will not allow any doctor to properly treat lyme. They also ignore other tick-borne infections. The IDSA has a strong hold in my state. Some MDs have lost their licenses by treating lyme patients.
Even with classic symptoms of late stage lyme, positive tests for each: borrelia, babesia and erhlichia - my GP said "no lyme in this state. You must be depressed. Take [this drug]." That was 1997 and every MD in my state whom I've since approached has had the some old song.
I've never abused drugs or alcohol, always tried to take care of my health, worked hard (until l couldn't) but the joke is that the work of staying alive becomes even so much more work than any of my jobs, even when I was falling and passing out all the time - even when I just could not even think of how to open a door, staring at it until someone would come along, and then unable to even grab the handle.
On the road, forgetting what the green light or the red light meant, well, that went beyond just my life in danger. Once I could not think of how to stop my car I just had to step away.
With the money from selling my car, I did travel out of state for a few consults with LLMDs but could only afford the basic instructional meetings, not care and am no longer able to travel at all. Yet, I do the best I can with what I have. I've learned a lot.
I'm not complaining here as I simply don't do that in an effort to focus on the task at hand and negative energy wears me out. Still, I feel the need to exclaim - this is not right. Not right at all. And yet it continues, as if a master plan by IDSA and CDC. My life ruined; not sure how this will work out. How many more?
I could not ever describe the torture my life has been the past two decades. It is simply beyond words. No human should have to endure such an existence from infections ignored. There are thousands of others. We know. But the IDSA and CDC seem to simply not care. I often wonder if they do inflict this cruel sentence on purpose, in full knowledge.
I have tried hard to learn and do my best on my own with few pennies but, once one looses job after job, their car, their ability to work or socialize at all - or even to take a walk . . . and when that is repeated by hundreds in my state, thousands in the U.S. - any one who ever had a part in the lost quality - and action causing the loss of life itself, well, each doctor and each administrator should be answering some very tough questions. Instead, they just skip away.
And, it's not just about lyme as lyme rarely travels solo. All stealth infections need to be considered. Who's doing that? The LLMDs, that's who.
The few who can work with them are fortunate but the LLMDs, too, have been dealt severe blows from the IDSA and CDC as well. The LLMDs are in very treacherous waters - all because they've taken the time to learn more and they treat accordingly.
This situation has been called the "Lyme Wars." It sure seems like a war but it has taken on the nature and intent of a decidedly determined force that is far more sinister. There is no other explanation for ignoring such a dangerous and devastating infection. -
[ 05-15-2010, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- How could they ignore this - and hundreds of more informational sources? --------------------
Germany Says No to IDSA Lyme Guidelines -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Here is one you may or may not want to add to the collection Keebler. To some it may seem to take the side of the IDSA yet if you know what we are talking about---It could be right on with the pretest being worthless. So yes it can do more harm than good. Tugwell et el. warned of using the pretest 10 years ago and no one listened.
The positive predictive value of Borrelia burgdorferi serology in the light of symptoms of patients sent to an outpatient service for tick-borne diseases. Lakos A, Reiczigel J, Solymosi N. Inflammation Research, online before print, May 12, 2010.
By using the published incidence of Lyme borreliosis in endemic regions of the World, and the sensitivity and specificity data of the best Lyme serological tests, we computed the positive predictive value of Borrelia burgdorferi antibody testing.
Methods
The calculation of predictive value was based on Bayes' theorem. We also analyzed the frequency distribution of the specific and non-specific symptoms and complaints of 27,194 patients sent to the Centre for Tick-borne Diseases in Budapest from 1986 to 2008.
Results
This evaluation demonstrated that practitioners often use Lyme serology in a "trial and error" way, without any reasonable ground. According to our calculation the positive predictive value of the best Lyme antibody tests if applied in this way is <9.1%.
Conclusion
Our study suggests that the present practice of applying Lyme serological tests may result in more harm than benefit. -------------------------------------------------- So what are they to do with this...Since we know a few labs have it right.
Most still do not and doctors are still not being taught it is a clinical diagnosis
and it appears there is not enough doc's to go around who really know how to treat it if it were to become only clinical...
How do we get unstuck from this sticky mess.
I try to look down that lonesome road and all I
see at the moment is a drug company with a Lyme
vaccine over the horizon just waiting with their
pockets wide open to steal from the unwary
public at the height of a epidemic once again.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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