A pediatrician talks about the pros and cons of overtesting and overtreating

“Contrary to popular belief, many medical tests aren’t definitive; they only suggest probabilities. For example, testing a newborn’s blood for the adrenal hormone appears like a great idea at first glance: it’s 100 percent effective at catching the 1 child in 10,000 with the hormone deficiency. But this excellent test also identifies many children who don’t have the condition; thus only 1 out of 20 children who test positive actually have it. The positive test makes it more likely, but doesn’t give an absolute answer. So, for uncommon problems (like some genetic syndromes, and even prostate and breast cancer), a screening test is often wrong, even when positive.”

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