Boston (dbTechno) - A doctors group, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has agreed to review its national guidelines on Lyme disease. They will review the guidelines to both diagnose and treat the disease.
The call to review the Lyme disease guidelines comes after an antitrust investigation found major flaws in the set-up of the guidelines.
Lyme disease can be very hard to diagnose with very slight flu-like symptoms. The most obvious symptom of Lyme disease is the round red rash it leaves. There are 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease reported each year, experts state though the total may be around 100,000.
The 2006 Lyme disease guidelines go against the belief of many critics. The guidelines currently state that the majority of Lyme disease cases are treated with a 30-day set or oral antibiotics. They also state that there is no proof that chronic Lyme disease even exists, and that long-term antibiotics are effective.
Experts are stating though that Lyme disease is not as easy to diagnose and treat as the guidelines state, as the disease can last for years and years.
Critics of the guidelines state normal treatment with antibiotics takes six months or longer.
The IDSA guidelines are a tool used quite often by insurance companies as a reason to put a stop to long-term antibiotic treatment.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who launched the antitrust investigation, stated “The IDSA’s 2006 Lyme disease guideline panel undercut its credibility by allowing individuals with financial interests, in drug companies, Lyme disease diagnostic tests, patents and consulting arrangements with insurance companies, to exclude divergent medical evidence and opinion.”
The guidelines in place will not be changed while the review is carried out, which could take up to a year.
The call to review the Lyme disease guidelines comes after an antitrust investigation found major flaws in the set-up of the guidelines.
Lyme disease can be very hard to diagnose with very slight flu-like symptoms. The most obvious symptom of Lyme disease is the round red rash it leaves. There are 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease reported each year, experts state though the total may be around 100,000.
The 2006 Lyme disease guidelines go against the belief of many critics. The guidelines currently state that the majority of Lyme disease cases are treated with a 30-day set or oral antibiotics. They also state that there is no proof that chronic Lyme disease even exists, and that long-term antibiotics are effective.
Experts are stating though that Lyme disease is not as easy to diagnose and treat as the guidelines state, as the disease can last for years and years.
Critics of the guidelines state normal treatment with antibiotics takes six months or longer.
The IDSA guidelines are a tool used quite often by insurance companies as a reason to put a stop to long-term antibiotic treatment.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who launched the antitrust investigation, stated “The IDSA’s 2006 Lyme disease guideline panel undercut its credibility by allowing individuals with financial interests, in drug companies, Lyme disease diagnostic tests, patents and consulting arrangements with insurance companies, to exclude divergent medical evidence and opinion.”
The guidelines in place will not be changed while the review is carried out, which could take up to a year.
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