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By the Editors
The American Society for Clinical Pathology has released five additional practices to question or avoid as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign. Here they are:
Hospitalized patients who develop diarrhea after 3 days in the hospital should not be routinely tested for community gastrointestinal pathogens.
Patients who've had a positive test for hepatitis C virus antibodies should not undergo repeat antibody testing. Rather, they should have their viral load measured to assess whether their infection is active or resolved.
Those taking direct factor Xa inhibitors (e.g., apixaban) or direct thrombin inhibitors (e.g., dabigatran) should not receive a hypercoagulable workup.
When evaluating a patient for pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma, do not use plasma catecholamines. Use plasma free metanephrines or urinary fractionated metanephrines instead.
Broad respiratory pathogen panels shouldn't be regularly used unless the findings are expected to influence patient management.
Comment
LINK(S):
Choosing Wisely list (see items 26-30) (Free)
Background: Physician's First Watch coverage of recent Choosing Wisely list from the American Academy of Pediatrics (Free)