In his commitment to keeping pace with the Occupational Medicine field, physician and specialist Dr. Eli J. Hurowitz featured last month’s announcement from NASEM regarding PFAS exposure and expanded testing. But since the announcement, many clinicians and doctors have started asking their own questions about how to order a PFAS blood test… Dr. Hurowitz sheds light on the health issue at hand:
With the recent release of a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), many people have already started asking questions about PFAS. Patients who fall in the category of being the most exposed to these occupational and environmental hazards are turning to their physicians for guidance. Unfortunately, because the information is so fresh, follow-up research is currently underway. As far as Dr. Eli J. Hurowitz can tell from his own research, specific guidelines on ‘what to do’ are in early development — leaving doctors and patients with more questions than answers.
At this time, Dr. Eli J. Hurowitz and NASEM advise medical professionals to educate themselves about PFAS chemicals, including local contamination sites and the population most likely to be impacted by the exposure. Currently, the only way to detect PFAS chemicals in an individual’s system, a blood test must be ordered. However, Dr. Hurowitz reminds physicians that at this time, there is no way to treat PFAS exposure. While testing may provide an answer regarding whether or not someone has been exposed to these chemicals, the follow up will be at a stand still until developments are made.
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