ImageA drug that has recently been found to help some Covid-19 patients could form the basis of natural experiments.Credit…Nati Harnik/Associated Press The recent news that a decades-old steroid drug, dexamethasone, showed a one-third reduction in mortality for patients with severe Covid-19 infections has generated immense hope in the medical community. The finding came from the…
At a May 30 birthday party in Texas, one man reportedly infected 18 friends and family with the coronavirus. Reading reports like these, you might think of the virus as a wildfire, instantly setting off epidemics wherever it goes. But other reports tell another story altogether. In Italy, for example, scientists looked at stored samples…
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- June 30, 2020 – Prostate MRI is an emerging technology used to identify and guide treatment for prostate cancer and has recently gained wide acceptance at many institutions. However, there has been concern that different institutions perform imaging of different quality. A recent multi-site study published in Radiology was designed to gauge the…
Hospitalized patients who report an allergy to penicillin are often prescribed alternative antibiotics for infection that can be harmful, even though diagnostic testing or evaluations would show that the vast majority of these reported allergies could be disproven, according to researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital. In a national study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the…
If some regions become hot spots and hospitals reach maximum capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have plans for how to decide who gets critical care resources, such as a bed in the intensive care unit or a respirator. Many hospitals recommend distributing resources to the healthiest patients who are most likely to survive. However,…
PHOENIX (June 30, 2020) – Summertime means Americans are spending more time around grills, firepits, and fireworks, increasing their risk for fire-related burn injuries. While 53% of Americans say they know some or a lot about burn injuries and treatment, many mistakenly underestimate their risks with these activities, according to a new Arizona Burn Center…
Light to moderate drinking may preserve brain function in older age, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The study examined the link between alcohol consumption and changes in cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. “We know there are some older people who believe that drinking…
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and their colleagues have developed the first technique for personalizing stomach cancer therapy based on RNA sequencing of tumor cells. The study, supported by the Russian Science Foundation, was published in Cold Spring Harbor Molecular Case Studies. Stomach cancer is the fifth-deadliest oncological disease. It is…
JUNE 30, 2020, NEW YORK CITY — In molecular biology, chaperones are a class of proteins that help regulate how other proteins fold. Folding is an important step in the manufacturing process for proteins. When they don’t fold the way they’re supposed to, it can lead to the development of diseases such as cancer. Researchers…
Changes in blood platelets triggered by COVID-19 could contribute to the onset of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious complications in some patients who have the disease, according to University of Utah Health scientists. The researchers found that inflammatory proteins produced during infection significantly alter the function of platelets, making them “hyperactive” and more prone…