Star Tribune, Competing models at start of pandemic hurt public's trust

… Mayo leaders in spring 2020 reached out to Walz and offered what they believed would be more reliable estimates. Programmed to review the latest data and consider all likely possibilities, Mayo's machine-learning model by design made more conservative predictions than occurred, but it proved adept at warning about shifts in the pandemic. "It started out for me as, 'Can we even do anything? Are we going to be able to do any better than a few people getting together over drinks and guessing?' " said Curtis Storlie, a statistician who created the Mayo model. "Because honestly I thought it was a fool's errand to be able to predict this with any degree of certainty. But we evolved past that."

Post-Bulletin, Health Fusion: An expert's advice on how to deal with ticks, emerging diseases

… Ticks that carry Lyme disease continue to be a problem in many areas of the country. And researchers are finding other pathogens that could pose additional risks to humans. "There are others that are really quite serious. Potentially fatal, even," says Dr. Bobbi Pritt, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

WebMD, Navigating Relationships When You Have Narcolepsy

… The daytime sleepiness that’s common for those living with narcolepsy can make it more difficult to go to social events and activities with friends and family, especially in the evening, says Diego Carvalho, MD, a sleep medicine expert from Mayo Clinic. “It can also affect their ability to actually socialize,” he says. “There is a significant overlap between narcolepsy, obesity, and depression. These comorbid conditions can contribute to social isolation, if not adequately addressed.”

HCP Live, Doctors and Data Agree: Second Opinions Improve Patient Outcomes 

Second opinions are mutually beneficial for patients and doctors alike, and the availability of a second opinion has become exponentially easier in recent years due to changes in virtual medicine.

… A new Mayo Clinic study published in April confirmed that getting a second opinion cuts the chance of misdiagnosis in half. Researchers analyzed the function of second opinions in correcting diagnostic errors and professional or unconscious biases, including ego and hindsight biases, as well as financial interests. They found that second opinions cut the rate of diagnostic errors from 26%-50%, with a third opinion driving it down even further to 16%.

NOTE: Read referenced study on Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovation, Quality & Outcomes

Washington Post, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized after 10 days of hiccups

… Mark V. Larson, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and internist, told The Washington Post that while transient hiccups are very common, persistence for more than a day is already quite rare. Bolsonaro’s 10-day spell is very rare. He said that medications taken after the surgery, or even the surgery itself, could plausibly have triggered the symptoms.

STAT, By creating mouse eggs entirely from scratch, researchers raise the prospect of a futuristic fertility treatment

… "I suspect that if it does start to show feasibility in humans, there’s going to be a lot of pressure from various groups — same-sex couples, those with infertility issues — to have access to this technology before society grapples with its implications, said Megan Allyse, a Mayo Clinic bioethicist who specializes in emerging reproductive technologies. "The concern about this kind of research is that once you prove it’s possible, the next question everybody asks is not 'should we use it?' Or 'do we have a need for it?' It’s 'how are we going to use it?'"

Post-Bulletin, Who's the boss? Workers emerge from the pandemic wanting more

… Lisa Hardesty, a clinical health psychologist at Mayo Clinic specializing in burnout and resilience, likens workers’ experiences during the pandemic to going through a natural disaster, when surviving comes first, and the chance to assess the damage or emotional exhaustion only comes later. As fallout from the pandemic continues, Hardesty expects mental health issues to increase. “I think we're seeing more burnout numbers now,” Hardesty said. “During the pandemic when people had to survive and keep people alive, I think we were all to some extent, especially the medical workforce and the essential workers, in that survival mode.”

WebMD, Health Anxiety Common as COVID Restrictions Loosen

As restrictions lift and mask mandates become scarce, Americans are filling their social calendars and booking vacations. While some are rejoicing, health care professionals say others are emerging from the pandemic with more health-related fears … A survey from the CDC and the Census Bureau found the percentage of adults with symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5% from August 2020 to February 2021. But this phenomenon will not just disappear as COVID-19 cases decrease, says Reese Druckenmiller, a clinical social worker for the Mayo Clinic Health System…

Healio, Surgeons explore treatments as elbow injuries increase

During the past 2 decades, research has shown multiple factors have led to an increase in elbow injuries and surgeries among youth, collegiate and professional overhead-throwing athletes… The increased number of adolescents and adults who play sports also may contribute to increased elbow injury rates, according to Christopher L. Camp, MD, orthopedic and sports medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic. “We are seeing recreational leagues, city leagues pop up for all different types of sports, all different types of ages and different types of activity levels, which is great, and we should continue to do that, but with that some of these injuries are more common,” Camp said.

WKBT La Crosse, Mayo Clinic and Gundersen Health System experts say COVID booster shot not needed right now

Pfizer has been pushing to get a booster shot of its vaccine authorized, saying it will significantly help with protection from the virus. But the FDA, CDC and even the Biden administration are saying it’s too soon for a third shot at this time. Mayo Clinic and Gundersen Health System experts say there’s no need for a third COVID shot right now. Information about the COVID-19 vaccine is changing by the day.

“Recommendations can change over time, and so all we can do is respond with what we know today,” Mayo Clinic Health System-Rochester Chair of COVID Task Force Dr. Andrew Badley said…

Healthline, Is Walking Good for Sciatica?

Is walking good for sciatica? The short answer is, “It depends.”

… J.D. Bartleson, MD, professor emeritus of neurology at the Mayo Clinic and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, said, “If walking doesn’t bother the sciatica pain, it’s a good way to stay in condition and to reduce your risk of deep vein thrombophlebitis and blood clots because you’re actively moving your legs.” … 

TCTMD, Tastes Like Ticagrelor: Mouth-Dissolving Pills Match Standard Ones in ACS

The orodispersible pills didn’t beat the gold standard, but aiding swallowing could be useful in this setting, the authors argue.

… Commenting on the study for TCTMD, Malcolm Bell, MD (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN), agreed that it clearly shows mouth-dissolving ticagrelor “works as effectively as the tablet form and that if you cannot use a tablet for whatever reason, it seems reasonable to use.” However, he cautioned, “I don’t think we'd be using it routinely, as it’s not going to work any faster.” Bell pointed out that other forms of antiplatelet therapy also can be given, either at the time or in a delayed fashion. To show the advantage of ODT over standard tablets would “require a really big trial and I don’t think it would be feasible or worth it,” Bell said.

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