Attention: LymeNUTS! Here's an idea...

Before you sign the petition to protest the nasty IDSA
G-U-I-D-E-L-I-N-E-S, you might want to:

ASK THE LDA WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS WITHIN THE GUIDELINES THAT IS SO DAMN
TERRIBLE...and is going to remove physician discretion and requires
either an EM rash or a positive serology!

Huh? Ever think of that one? It's called thinking for yourself and NOT
acting like a damn robot that does everything it is told by the
FEARLESS LEADER.

READ the damn thing yourself. See if you can find what they are talking
about!

(HINT): See this?

"Clinical findings are sufficient for the diagnosis of erythema
migrans, but clinical findings alone are not sufficient for diagnosis
of extracutaneous manifestations of Lyme disease or for diagnosis of
HGA or babesiosis".

THIS ISN'T IT. What that says, is that an EM rash by itself is
sufficient to diagnose. For all other clinical manifestations, you need
to order blood tests).

AND THIS ISN'T IT, EITHER:

"Erythema migrans is the only manifestation of Lyme disease in the
United States that is sufficiently distinctive to allow clinical
diagnosis in the absence of laboratory confirmation".

Says exactly the same thing as above. Nope. Just says if you don't have
an EM, you need to order blood tests.

SO WHERE IS IT?

LOL.

Also:

Someone has FINALLY realized that these are, in fact,
G-U-I-D-E-L-I-N-E-s, and, contrary to what the LDA says, do NOT remove
"clinical discretion" from physicians, citing the "voluntary" language
in the disclaimer provision.

That's right, they are NOT mandatory.

However, this impacts the LDA's claims about the removal of physician
discretion and probably not any effect this might have on insurance
company's use of them to refuse payment for proposed therapies.

Why?

Because what the insurance companies would be citing in that instance,
would be the clinical studies of the medication or other therapy's
effectiveness themselves, and NOT the Guidelines.

The Guidelines are directed at "health care providers"...doctors.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Steere/Yale MAJOR screw-up.
    ... surveillance guidelines or what? ... the way and for the record) are NOT for diagnosis and they say so. ... If PCPs use them for diagnosis it IS their responsibility. ... Well I think many types of doctors end up seeing Lyme patients. ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: IDSA Guidelines...can anyone tell me what this means?
    ... But this is not brought out in the IDSA guidelines. ... It is omitted just like other evidence that they consider 'unconvincing'. ... diagnosis and treatment". ... The Infectious Diseases Society of America considers adherence to these ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: IDSA Guidelines...can anyone tell me what this means?
    ... used by IDSA in Lyme Guidelines. ... The IDSA guidelines state exactly ... But I the definition of "clinical diagnosis" as most practitioners use ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Two views concerning Lyme disease
    ... -There are two views concerning the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, which are both, scientifically grounded, embodied in guidelines. ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
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