My Virtual Reading Room

Complications of “chronic Lyme disease" reported

Cases have reported in which treatment for "chronic Lyme disease" resulted in the development of septic shock, osteomyelitis, Clostridium difficile colitis, or paraspinal abscess. [Marzec NS and others. Serious bacterial infections acquired during treatment of patients given a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease—United States. MMWR 66:607-609, 2017]  "Chronic Lyme disease" is not a valid diagnostic entity. Lyme disease infections are usually cured by 2 to 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. However, a small network of physicians and their patients have been barraging the public with claims that thousands of people being maimed, killed, and bankrupted each year by chronic Lyme disease. They incorrectly assert that Lyme is a deadly, chronic disease that requires long-term antibiotic therapy even though clinical trial evidence shows no advantage over placebo treatment. [Melia TM, Auwaerter PG. Time for a different approach to Lyme disease and long-term symptoms. New England Journal of Medicine 374:1277-1278, 2016]

(from Dr. Barrett's Quackwatch newsletter)

Fidget Spinners: A Pediatrician's Take

"...I polled my pediatrics friends to see if they had stories. A pediatrician friend who works in an urgent care setting saw a child with a stress injury because the child spun it continuously for 8 hours. Another one of my pediatric provider friends saw a child with a chin laceration because he was spinning it and walked right off a curb. That doesn't sound like increased focus to me."