Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Chagas Disease in the United States

In this presentation, Dr. Eva Clark discusses the epidemiology of Chagas disease in the United States, focusing on which patients should be screened due to risk factors for exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi. She also reviews the life cycle of T. cruzi, clinical presentations, diagnostic tests, and management strategies for acute infection and chronic Chagas disease.
This Section of General Internal Medicine Series session took place on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 12:15 p.m.

Activity Information

How to Claim Credit

You may claim credit after watching this activity.

You will be redirected to the BCM DCPD credit management site when claiming credit and may be asked to register or log in.

Needs Statement

General internal medicine faculty physicians and allied health practitioners in inpatient and outpatient settings need to receive regular updates on current evidence-based guidelines for general internal medicine practice, effective transitions of care, and other systems-based practices. The series aims to reach the wider audience of general internal medicine practitioners at Ben Taub Hospital, the Baylor Clinic, the Harris Health System, the Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. The series also aims to address the challenges of developing and implementing quality improvement strategies and maintaining quality patient care as general internal medicine practices continue to evolve. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of professional development activities, such as teaching and scholarship, as a means to keep knowledge of evolving general internal medicine practices current.

Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of the activity, the participants should be able to:

  • Review the epidemiology of Chagas disease in the United States, including risk factors for exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi.
  • Describe how to screen at-risk people living in the United States for Chagas disease and how to follow up the screening test with appropriate diagnostic test(s).
  • Discuss available treatments for T. cruzi infection and appropriate management strategies.

Target Audience

Professional Categories

  • Physicians
  • Medical Students
  • Fellows
  • Residents
  • Nurses
  • Other Health Professionals

Specialties

  • Infectious Disease
  • Internal Medicine

Interest Groups

  • Global Health

Activity Evaluation

Evaluation by questionnaire will address program content, presentation, and possible bias.

Educational Methods

  • Lectures

Accreditation/Credit Designation

Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Baylor College of Medicine designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Activity Directors

  1. Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine
  2. Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

Term of Approval

October 1, 2024 through October 31, 2026. Original release date: October 1, 2024.

Disclosure Policy

Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. BCM is committed to sponsoring CE activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and objectively presented.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, BCM has implemented a mechanism requiring everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity (i.e., directors, planning committee members, faculty) to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests (drug/device companies) and manage/resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. Individuals must disclose to participants the existence or non-existence of financial relationships at the time of the activity or within 24 months prior.

In addition, BCM has requested activity faculty/presenters to disclose to participants any unlabeled use or investigational use of pharmaceutical/device products; to use scientific or generic names (not trade names) in referring to products; and, if necessary to use a trade name, to use the names of similar products or those within a class. Faculty/presenters have also been requested to adhere to the ACCME's validation of clinical content statements.

BCM does not view the existence of financial relationships with commercial interests as implying bias or decreasing the value of a presentation. It is up to participants to determine whether the relationships influence the activity faculty with regard to exposition or conclusions. If at any time during this activity you feel that there has been commercial/promotional bias, notify the Activity Director or Activity Coordinator. Please answer the questions about balance and objectivity in the activity evaluation candidly.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

Disclosures

The following individual(s) has/have reported financial or other relationship(s) with commercial entities whose products/services may relate to the educational content of this activity:

Presenter

  1. Eva Clark, M.D., Ph.D., CTropMed

    Eva Clark, M.D., Ph.D., CTropMed

    Instructor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:
    • Research Support: InBios; Novartis
    • Research Support: McGraw Hill; Wolters Kluwer

Activity Directors

  1. Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  2. Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

Planning Committee Members

  1. Fabrizio Canepa Escaro, M.D. Placeholder Image

    Fabrizio Canepa Escaro, M.D.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  2. David Crawford, M.D. Placeholder Image

    David Crawford, M.D.

    Chief Internal Medicine Resident
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  3. Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  4. Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  5. Jill Jacoby, M.D.

    Jill Jacoby, M.D.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  6. Kristen Lavere, M.D.

    Kristen Lavere, M.D.

    Internal Medicine Resident
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  7. Cody Moore, M.D. Placeholder Image

    Cody Moore, M.D.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  8. Stephanie Sherman, M.D.

    Stephanie Sherman, M.D.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  9. Isabel Valdez, PA-C, MPAS, CPAAPA

    Isabel Valdez, PA-C, MPAS, CPAAPA

    Instructor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

Presenter:

Eva Clark, M.D., Ph.D., CTropMed

Eva Clark, M.D., Ph.D., CTropMed

Instructor Baylor College of Medicine

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