ASCLS eNewsBytes

• DAAs appear to help oral lichen planus in patients with HCV April 12, 2021
  Direct-acting antivirals appear to be associated with the alleviation of symptoms of oral lichen planus in patients with hepatitis C virus, but more research is needed to fully understand the links between the infection and the inflammatory condition. DAAs have been a paradigm-shifting therapy for patients with HCV.
• 3D-mammography reduces the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed between routine screenings April 12, 2021
  3D-mammography reduces the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed in the period between routine screenings, when compared with traditional mammography, according to a large study from Lund University in Sweden. The results are published in the journal Radiology.
• OIG report indicates fraudulent upcoding at hospitals is more prevalent than expected, recommends more CMS oversight and auditing of Medicare spending April 12, 2021
  Medicare upcoding fraud is a growing problem for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Now, a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General suggests that the practice is increasingly occurring for high-severity inpatient hospital stays that account for the most expensive part of U.S. healthcare.
• Mechanism that accelerates antibiotic resistance in bacteria confirmed April 12, 2021
  Antibiotic resistance is a huge challenge facing society globally, posing a threat not only to human health but in areas such as food security and the economy. The more we know about the mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance, the better we can respond to these threats.
• Mucocutaneous symptoms common in pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations April 12, 2021
  Pediatric patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 often experienced mucocutaneous symptoms, according to a study. “Chilblain lesions in healthy children and adolescents have received much attention; these lesions resolve without complications after a few weeks. Besides, other cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 in children have been the matter of case reports or small case series,” David […]