Medical Guides Need Update

CHICAGO-Guidelines for treating a variety of illnesses are out of date and could mean patients are not being cared for effectively, reports an article in this weeks Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers found that 13 out of 17 ailment guidelines distributed by the government were out of date. For example, the guideline for treating an enlarged prostate included a balloon dialing procedure and the drug finasteride. Both the procedure and the pharmaceutical have been altered with new technologies.

Other guidelines that could have been less that efficacious for patients included those on heart failure, back problems, and stroke rehabilitation.

Funding of the analysis, which cost $100,000, was paid for by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The cost of the review was emphasized by the researchers because their efforts were both financially feasible but also worth the cost of keeping physicians up to date about frequent medical procedures.

Information from www.sfgate.com