State Senator Jonathan A. Harris
May 29, 2009
Harris Leads Passage of Ultrasound, Lyme Disease Bills
State Senator Jonathan A. Harris (D-West Hartford), the Co-Chairman of the Public Health Committee, led the passage in the Senate today of one bill which prohibits the use of so-called “keepsake” fetal ultrasounds, and of another bill which allows physicians to prescribe the long-term use of antibiotics in the treatment of Lyme Disease without the fear of disciplinary action.
The bills, House Bill 5635 (ultrasounds) and House Bill 6200 (Lyme disease), were unanimously passed on the Senate “consent” calendar and now head to the governor for her signature. If signed into law, they would both take effect on July 1.
The ultrasound bill prohibits a person from performing an obstetrical ultrasound procedure unless it is for a medical or diagnostic purpose and unless it is ordered by a licensed health care provider acting within the scope of his or her practice.
“There are many prudent reasons for performing an ultrasound, such as determining the age of a fetus or diagnosing potential problems. This bill takes nothing away from such medically necessary testing,” Sen. Harris said. “But what we want to discourage, and what the federal Food and Drug Administration has warned about for over half a decade, are the so-called “keepsake videos” that some ultrasound companies offer for purely entertainment purposes. Parents should know that the effects of repeated applications of high-frequency sound waves on the bones, organs and tissues of a developing fetus are unknown, and that these high-tech procedures are best used only when absolutely necessary.”
The Lyme disease bill allows a doctor to prescribe long-term antibiotic therapy if a patient is diagnosed with Lyme disease (or its symptoms), and if the doctor documents the diagnosis and treatment in the patient’s medical record. Since opinions differ as to the effectiveness of such long-term antibiotic therapies, this bill also prohibits the state or the state medical examining board from disciplining such physicians.
“This bill gives physicians a ‘safe harbor’ if they are following what they believe in their professional judgment to be the best course of action for their patient, regardless of medically divergent opinions,” Sen. Harris said.
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