Home Dermatology April 2015 Briefing – Dermatology

April 2015 Briefing – Dermatology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Dermatology for April 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Sodium Nitrate, Citric Acid Effective for Anogenital Warts

THURSDAY, April 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with anogenital warts, high-dose topical treatment (sodium nitrite, 6 percent, with citric acid, 9 percent) is more effective than placebo, according to a study published online April 29 in JAMA Dermatology.

Most Adult Acne Antibiotic Course Durations Follow Guidelines

WEDNESDAY, April 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The majority of oral antibiotic course durations for adult acne follow guidelines, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Physician Compensation Up for Most Specialties

TUESDAY, April 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physician compensation has gone up for almost all specialties, according to a 2015 report published by Medscape.

CDC: Surveillance System Can Help Reduce Health Care Injuries

TUESDAY, April 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A surveillance system for health care facilities can be used to identify and help reduce the number of preventable injuries among health care personnel, according to research published in the April 24 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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532-nm Picosecond Laser Removes Yellow Tattoo Ink

FRIDAY, April 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Yellow tattoo ink can be effectively and consistently reduced, in some cases entirely, using a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG 532-nm laser with a picosecond pulse duration, according to a clinical report published in the April issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

EHR Data Mining Helps With Quality Improvement

WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Electronic health records (EHRs) are a valuable source of data that can be mined to help practices with quality improvement performance, according to a study published in Medical Economics.

Guidance Offered for Managing Conflict With Patients

MONDAY, April 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Good communication is key to managing conflict with patients, according to an article published April 1 in Medical Economics.

FDA: Counterfeit Botox Found in the United States

MONDAY, April 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Counterfeit Botox may have been distributed to doctors’ offices and medical clinics across the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

Suboptimal Prescribing Attitudes Could Signal Personal Distress

FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical students in personal distress may be more likely to have suboptimal attitudes about self-prescribing and personal responsibility for reporting impaired colleagues, according to a study published in the April issue of Academic Medicine.

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Review Compares Shave, Punch Biopsy Methods

FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For clinically atypical pigmented lesions, lesion size and morphology should be considered before deciding on shave or punch biopsy, according to a research letter published online April 9 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Modified Timolol Agent Effective for Infantile Hemangiomas

THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new modified timolol-based cream seems effective for infantile hemangiomas (IHs), according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Dermatology.

Ethical Implications for Looking Up Applicants on Facebook

THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Looking up students on Facebook and other social networking sites (SNS) is associated with ethical concerns, according to a perspective piece published in the March issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.

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Medicare Spending Down in Year One of Pioneer ACO

THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medicare spending is down in year one of the Pioneer accountable care organization (ACO) program, according to a study published online April 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

AMA Announces End of Sustainable Growth Rate Formula

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Recently adopted legislation has repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

Survey Looks at Patient Attitudes Regarding Informed Consent

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most U.S. adults would prefer to be asked for permission to participate in studies assessing usual medical practices, according to a study published online April 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Security Breaches of Health Records Up Over Past Decade

TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Breaches in data security exposed more than 29 million health records to potential criminal misuse between 2010 and 2013, according to a new study. Security breaches involving hacking have nearly doubled in recent years, rising to 8.7 percent in 2013 compared with 4.7 percent in 2010, according to the study, published as a research letter in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Placebo Response May Depend on Individual DNA

TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The strength of the placebo effect may depend on particular DNA, according to a report published online April 13 in Trends in Molecular Medicine.

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Teledermatology Implications for Incidental Skin CA Detection

TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An in-person skin examination is important for detection of incidentally-identified skin malignancies, according to a review published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Bipolar FRF Tx for Acne in Japanese Deemed Safe, Effective

MONDAY, April 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Bipolar fractional radiofrequency (FRF) therapy appears to be effective for atrophic acne scars and acne among Japanese patients, according to a study published online April 9 in the Journal of Dermatology.

Many Doctors Haven’t Started Dealing With ICD-10 Revision

FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most physicians have barely begun to deal with issues relating to documentation associated with the transition to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), according to an article published in Medical Economics.

Medical Debt Burden Higher in Texas, Florida

FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Significantly more adults in Florida and Texas struggle to pay medical bills or pay off medical debt over time compared with residents of New York and California, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report released Friday.

Art Program Hones Med Students’ Visual Observation Skills

FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An innovative interdisciplinary program, Art Rounds, is effective for improving medical and nursing students’ physical observation skills, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nursing Education.

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Three-Drug Combo Cream Effective for Melasma

FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A cream formula containing 4 percent hydroquinone, 10 percent glycolic acid, and 0.01 percent hyaluronic acid is very effective in the treatment of melasma, according to a study published online April 6 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Cases of Melanoma Declining in U.S. Children

THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of melanoma is falling among American children, according to a new study published online April 9 in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Pharmacists Raise Concerns for Patient Access to Generic Drugs

THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nearly all pharmacists have experienced upswings in the acquisition costs of generic drugs, with price spikes reported to be worse since 2013, according to a report published by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

Dimethyl Fumarate Linked to Development of PML

THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An active ingredient in some psoriasis and multiple sclerosis medications, dimethyl fumarate, has been linked to two cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), according to two letters published in the April 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Periocular Basal Cell Carcinomas Can Grow Rapidly

THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Periocular basal cell carcinomas (pBCCs) have a mean growth rate of 11.2 mm² every 30 days, according to a study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.

Medicare Beneficiaries With Melanoma May Face Tx Delay

WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Approximately 20 percent of Medicare patients with melanoma face delays in getting surgical treatment, according to a new study published online April 8 in JAMA Dermatology.

Limited Time Available to Review Sunshine Act Data

WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians have only 45 days to review and dispute reports regarding their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers reported under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).

Ivermectin Tops Metronidazole for Papulopustular Rosacea

TUESDAY, April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with papulopustular rosacea (PPR), once-daily ivermectin 1 percent cream (IVM 1 percent) is superior to twice-daily metronidazole (MTZ 0.75 percent) cream, according to a study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.

Med Students, Residents Rarely Perform Stethoscope Hygiene

TUESDAY, April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Stethoscope hygiene is rarely performed by trainee physicians, according to a research letter published online April 2 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

Facial Rejuvenation Effect of Fat Graft May Be Due to Stem Cells

MONDAY, April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The facial skin regenerative effect of a fat graft appears to be, at least partly, due to its stem cell component, according to a study published in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

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Article Highlights Legal Issues Linked to Physician Extenders

FRIDAY, April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The use of physician extenders (PEs; mainly physician assistants and nurse practitioners) may bring added legal risks to a practice, according to an article published in Medical Economics.

Pediatric Discoid Lupus Carries Significant Progression Risk

FRIDAY, April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Pediatric discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) carries a significant risk of progression to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a review published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Early Research Proving Hopeful for Melanoma Vaccine

FRIDAY, April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A highly personalized vaccine can spur an immune response in people with advanced melanoma, according to a study published online April 2 in Science.

Patients May Be Modifying Meds Due to Trouble Swallowing

THURSDAY, April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Some patients experience difficulties swallowing and modify medication dosage forms, without necessarily consulting health professionals, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.

Methotrexate, Cyclosporine Least Costly Meds for Psoriasis

WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Methotrexate and cyclosporine have the lowest monthly cost for treating psoriasis, according to a systematic review published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Association of Dermatology.

Legal Issues of Removing Patient From Practice Explored

WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The legal and ethical responsibilities of removing a patient from practice are discussed in an article published March 16 in Medical Economics.

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