Photo-Sharing App a Popular Tool for Doctors: Share your medical anomalies with the world? How stupid is that?

Photo-Sharing App a Popular Tool for Doctors

While seemingly everyone is on Instagram, doctors have their own photo-sharing app for medical anomalies: Figure 1. It was created by physician Josh Landy to be a “global knowledge notebook,” a way to get second, third, and fourth opinions on a case—virtually—and to be a learning tool in the medical profession. Such sharing has raised concerns about doctor-patient confidentiality, but all personal information is removed when images are uploaded, and patients must give permission for their pictures to be shared. As of summer 2014, Figure 1 had 150,000 users. More… Discuss

ARTICLE: EARLY ANTIRETROVIRAL INTERVENTION HAS SECOND SUCCESS

Early Antiretroviral Intervention Has Second Success

A second baby may have been cured of HIV as a result of early, intensive antiretroviral drug therapy. One year ago, doctors reported the case of a baby who was believed to have been cured of HIV following aggressive antiretroviral therapy begun when she was just a day old. Now, doctors are reporting similar success with a second child. She was administered her first antiretroviral drugs just four hours after birth and, though she remains on a cocktail of these drugs to this day, doctors are optimistic that the lack of detectable HIV in her blood indicates that her infection is at the very least in remission if not cured. More… Discuss

 

TWO MORE MEN HIV-FREE AFTER BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS

Doctors are reporting two more cases of HIV-positivepatients who underwent bone marrow transplants and now, years later, still have no detectable signs of the virus in their blood. While they are reluctant to label the patients cured at this early stage—one of the men has been off his anti-retroviral drug regimen for 15 weeks and the other just seven—the results thus far are encouraging. The men will continue to be closely monitored for any signs that the infection is rebounding. More…Discuss