PPE Medical 
The value of subspecialization for nurse practitioners and physician assistants cannot be clearer than it is now. Since the global pandemic, we are seeing providers – including physicians – leave the work force in record numbers. We have also seen changes in patient visit patterns. In fact, emergency department volumes are down almost 30% nationwide …
Shoulder pain is the third most common complaint seen in orthopedic offices (Garving et al., 2017). The exact culprit of shoulder pain can sometimes be challenging to diagnose, due to the complexity of the shoulder joint and surrounding tissue. Objectively, there are many shoulder orthopedic tests that can be utilized to narrow in on a …
I’ll sum up my opinion on vaccination in three words, and then explain why this one is similar, but different, and equally important. Those three words: Smallpox, Polio, and Ebola. Yes- you read that correctly- I am comparing a common type of respiratory coronavirus with the deadliest virus known to mankind, the most debilitating neuromuscular …
Near the end of 2019, a new (novel) coronavirus was identified as the cause of a localized group of pneumonias in the Chinese city of Wuhan. This new coronavirus has been designated 2019-nCoV, and it seems to be spreading globally with laboratory confirmed cases now being reported in other cities in Asia, as well as Australia, France, Germany, the US, and Canada.
Here is a comparison table of the CSF findings in Meninigitis, and the most common pathogens by age.
The purpose of this post is to explain the concept of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios.
Screening tests (surveillance tests) are tools use to assess the likelihood that a patient may have a certain disease. They are not definitive, but if positive, will heighten suspicion that would warrant use of a gold standard diagnostic test to rule in or rule out a certain diagnosis. The goal of screening tests is to reduce the morbidity and mortality in a population group (Maxim, Niebo, & Utell, 2014). Examples of screening tests include routine EKGs, PSA, PAP smears, and mammograms. For example, a male with an elevated PSA may have prostate cancer, BPH, or prostatitis. Positive results of screening tests need to be compared to the established gold standard test that is regarded as definitive. In this case, a prostate biopsy is considered a definitive test, as it will reveal the etiology of the elevated PSA. Screening tests are less invasive and less costly, whereas the gold standard test may be more invasive, expensive, or too late (discovered during an autopsy). Ideally, gold standard tests, such as coronary angiography, breast biopsy, or colposcopy should have 100% sensitivity and specificity. However, in reality, this may not be the case, as it may be the best test given the clinical picture at the time (Maxim, Niebo, & Utell, 2014).
