CHICAGO – Many physicians still hold beliefs despite the existence of clear evidence that they are incorrect, said a presenter at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians.
Dr Douglas Paauw
These long-held pieces of dogma – or "medical myths" – were engraved during training or early in the careers of many physicians, and are difficult to overcome, noted Douglas Paauw, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle.
"I think that myths persist because medical professionals get taught one way in training, given a 'truth' or 'This is the way we do it,' and then do not ever rethink, 'Is it true?' " he said in an interview. "Studies pop up to question conventional wisdom, but unless the studies get highly publicized, they aren't noticed."
During his presentation, Paauw discussed three of what he considers to be some of the some of the medical myths that are in greatest need of being dispelled.
Shellfish Allergy and Radiocontrast
A myth persists that people with a shellfish allergy could have an allergic reaction when a contrast agent is used for a scan, he said.
This belief arose, because fish and shellfish contain iodine, and allergic reactions to seafood are fairly common, and contrast agents contain iodine, too, Paauw said.
