Winona Health mum on Lyme disease policy
Excerpted from the Winona Daily News ( Posted: 12/30/2010 )
Winona Health officials are refusing to say publicly whether the hospital has changed its policy for treating Lyme disease. Medical staff was scheduled to vote two weeks ago on adopting treatment guidelines set by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, but the vote was postponed because of weather.
Winona Health officials declined to say this week if another vote has been scheduled or if the hospital’s policy has changed.
As the city’s primary health care provider, any change at Winona Health would impact residents living in a region considered by state health officials to be at high risk for tick-borne illnesses. A study by Saint Mary’s University in 2009 found Lyme disease-causing bacteria in 49 percent of almost 300 ticks collected in Winona County.
The society’s treatment guidelines call for a short round of antibiotics, and are widely accepted in the medical community.
But others say the guidelines are short-sighted.
For the complete article: http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_908f94e2-13cd-11e0-8b35-001cc4c002e0.html
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