OCT News and Research

RSS

New heart attack testing protocol can reduce wait times and overcrowding in ERs

A new protocol using highly sensitive blood tests to determine whether someone is having a heart attack can reduce wait times and overcrowding in emergency departments, according to a new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center.

22 Apr 2020

High-resolution imaging with elastography could accurately spot breast cancer in surgical margins

A high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging technique, when combined with quantitative measurement of tissue elasticity, could accurately detect cancer within the resected margins of surgical specimens taken from patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery.

15 Apr 2020

Her genetic test revealed a microscopic problem — and a jumbo price tag

Michelle Kuppersmith, 32, feels great, works full time and exercises three to four times a week. So she was surprised when a routine blood test found that her body was making too many platelets, which help control bleeding.

31 Mar 2020

New handheld, high-resolution medical imaging device has potential for bedside scanning

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed the prototype of a handheld medical imaging device that can produce images down to resolutions of 1 to 2 micrometers.

25 Mar 2020

Sebelius, looking back at ACA, says the country’s never ‘seen this kind of battle’

Kathleen Sebelius, who served as secretary of Health and Human Services under President Barack Obama, helped lead the administration's negotiations with Congress over the Affordable Care Act and implementation of the law.

19 Mar 2020

Tooth-enamel protein discovered in the eyes of people with dry AMD

A protein that normally deposits mineralized calcium in tooth enamel may also be responsible for calcium deposits in the back of the eye in people with dry age-related macular degeneration, according to a study from researchers at the National Eye Institute.

13 Mar 2020

Donald Trump’s wrong claim that ‘anybody’ can get tested for coronavirus

To show that his administration has been fast and effective in its response to the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump claimed that anybody who wants to get tested for the respiratory disease caused by the virus can do so.

12 Mar 2020

VCU Health halts 30-year campaign that seized patients’ wages, put liens on homes

In one of the most sweeping moves yet by a nonprofit hospital system to reduce aggressive bill collection, VCU Health is halting seizure of patients' wages and removing thousands of liens against patients' homes, some dating to the 1990s.

11 Mar 2020

Abnormal retinal gene function underlying vision loss in dogs

A canine study carried out at the University of Helsinki has described a gene variant in the regulatory region of the retina resulting in the abnormal function of retinal genes and, eventually, in the loss of vision in dogs.

10 Mar 2020

As youth suicides climb, anguished parents begin to speak out

Alec Murray was 13. He enjoyed camping, fishing and skiing. At home, it was video games, movies and books. Having just completed middle school with "almost straight A's," those grades were going to earn him an iPhone for his upcoming birthday.

10 Mar 2020

Sanders’ claim that Buttigieg is ‘favorite of the health care industry’ is broad and needs context

As Pete Buttigieg gained momentum in the Democratic presidential primary race - finishing second in the New Hampshire primary and a front runner in the Iowa caucuses - he has increasingly been on the receiving end of shade from his rivals.

19 Feb 2020

Would ‘Medicare for All’ cost more than U.S. budget? Biden says so. Math says no.

During the Feb. 7 Democratic presidential debate, former Vice President Joe Biden once again questioned the price tag of "Medicare for All," the single-payer health care proposal championed by one of his key rivals, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

14 Feb 2020

Better than other plans or better than nothing? Trump’s claim about ‘affordable’ options

In his wide-ranging State of the Union address, President Donald Trump returned to a favorite theme: the cost of health insurance.

11 Feb 2020

How lifesaving organs for transplant go missing in transit

When a human heart was left behind by mistake on a Southwest Airlines plane in 2018, transplant officials downplayed the incident. They emphasized that the organ was used for valves and tissues, not to save the life of a waiting patient, so the delay was inconsequential.

10 Feb 2020

Trump on ‘Medicare for All’ and the costs of extending health care to undocumented immigrants

In his 2020 State of the Union address, President Donald Trump attempted to tie a Democratic proposal for health care reform to one of his signature issues: immigration.

5 Feb 2020

Warren is right. Presidents have the power to bypass Congress on drug pricing

On the presidential primary campaign trail in Iowa, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) brought out a favorite talking point: ways the president can bring down drug prices without waiting for Congress.

31 Jan 2020

Study shows wide variability in cost for orthobiologic therapies

The use of orthobiologics is a hot trend in orthopedics, but new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows wide variability in cost for these therapies.

28 Jan 2020

Researchers find no improvement in ICU death rate at minority-serving hospitals

Racial disparities have previously been identified across a range of health care environments, sometimes extending into the highest levels of care. A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reveals that while critical care outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) steadily improved over a decade at hospitals with few minority patients, ICUs with a more diverse patient population did not progress comparably.

17 Jan 2020

Surgical removal of tumor may boost survival of patients with brainstem high-grade gliomas

For adult patients with brainstem high-grade gliomas -- one of the rarest and deadliest forms of brain cancer -- surgically removing the entire tumor may add many months or potentially years of survival beyond that offered by radiation and chemotherapy, according to results of a medical records study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 9 Jan 2020

Researchers report evidence linking 'vaping' to increased likelihood of asthma and COPD

Using data from a large federal government telephone survey of adults, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report evidence that inhaling heated tobacco vapor through e-cigarettes was linked to increased odds of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, conditions long demonstrated to be caused by smoking traditional, combustible cigarettes.

7 Jan 2020