The University of Kansas Health System reports a big drop in the number of COVID patients today. 21 with the active virus are being treated, down from 32 on Friday. Just three of those patients are vaccinated. Four patients are in the ICU, down from eight on Friday, but none are vaccinated. Four are on ventilators, down from six Friday. 38 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 35 on Friday. That’s a total of 59 patients, down from 67 Friday. HaysMed reports 16 total patients, 11 active and five recovering.
On today’s Morning Medical Update, we discussed second opinions and where you get them. We were joined by breast surgical oncologist Dr. Jamie Wagner, and heard from a patient who received a second opinion. It changed her diagnosis and treatment and ultimately her outcome.
Angela Garrison was faithful about getting a yearly mammogram. But the desire for a second opinion led to a change in diagnosis at The University of Kansas Cancer Center where doctors found breast and lung cancer. Here’s her story.
Dr. Wagner says Angela’s story is a common one. She wants everyone to know that doctors do not get offended when a patient asks for a second opinion, and it helps give you confidence in your treatment. She advises seeking an NCI designated cancer center such as The University of Kansas Cancer Center for that second opinion. That’s where you’ll find fellowship-trained breast radiologists, who can often make the difference between a missed diagnosis and the right treatment, especially for women with dense breast tissue. She is still seeing people who are skipping or delaying their annual screenings, which unfortunately is leading to later stages of cancer when finally discovered. She says women in their 50’s to 70’s belong to the most common age group for breast cancer patients, but she reminds us men can get breast cancer as well. Without screening mammograms, she says it’s even more important for men to check themselves regularly and get to their doctor if they find anything abnormal. She explained why it’s a good idea to get your mammogram done at the same place every year, so results can be compared from one year to the next. If you do start going to a new location for your screening, she advises having your previous records sent for comparison. She lists the annual checkups a typical 45-year old woman should get as a primary care doctor visit, a screening mammogram, blood and lab work, a skin check and when the time is right, a colonoscopy. Her best advice for all women is get vaccinated and don’t put off your screenings.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, says even though COVID patient numbers are down, hospitals are still full with non-COVID patients, many of whom are sicker because of missed checkups and screenings during the pandemic. It’s still affecting how many transfer patients the health system can take. He applauds area companies such as Cerner, which have gone to mandatory vaccination for their employees. To those who say, “My body, my choice,” about vaccinations, he thinks that’s true a lot of the time. But he thinks a public health crisis and a pandemic changes things. He says we must ask ourselves if there are times in health that we have to act fairly and logically. He says, “I think that vaccination and a mandate is an okay thing during a public health crisis, and with a vaccine that has been shown to be overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly effective and safe.” He hopes for a 90 percent vaccination rate so we can do away with mask wearing. But his fear is mask mandates will be lifted just as the weather gets cold, schools are in full throttle and the holidays are coming. He says that means come January and February, we’ll be in trouble again because we don’t have enough people vaccinated. He adds, “If the last two years have taught us anything it is that when numbers get better people want to act like things are normal when they’re not quite normal yet.”
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, likes the lower COVID numbers and says they may be the best bellwether of the actual impact of infections in the community. He attributes it to mask mandates and worries if those are ended too soon. He thinks not much has changed for holiday travel this year from last except that vaccinations are now available. But since not enough people have them, we’ll still need to observe the same precautions as last year, with masking, distancing, keeping in your social bubble and staying in small groups.
Tuesday, October 5 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Many people ask why doesn't everyone who tests positive get monoclonal antibodies? We look at who is a candidate and hear from a patient here at the health system on how it’s helping him in his fight against COVID.
NOTE: Journalists should rejoin the Morning Medical Update at 8am as doctors are growing too busy again for individual interview requests. Please bring questions or send to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu until further notice. Thanks for all you do and helping to keep the community safe with your reporting.
ATTENTION: media procedure for calling in:
The meeting is available by Zoom, both video and by phone. To join the Zoom Meeting by video, click https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
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