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New book examines various phases of intervention research in hospice and palliative care

Behavioral Intervention Research in Hospice and Palliative Care: Building an Evidence Base sets forth research considerations and guidelines to build evidence-based interventions to improve end-of-life care.

3 May 2019

Treating cancer patients with personalized, combination therapies improves outcomes

Precision oncology often relies on treating patients with a single, molecularly matched therapy that targets one mutation in their tumor.

23 Apr 2019

Specific strains of Staphylococcus aureus linked to wounds that do not heal

Whether a wound--such as a diabetic foot ulcer--heals or progresses to a worse outcome, including infection or even amputation, may depend on the microbiome within that wound.

19 Apr 2019

New app can predict likelihood of developing incisional hernia after abdominal surgery

A new app can predict the likelihood that a patient will develop an incisional hernia following abdominal surgery, using big data to potentially help address a problem effects one out of every eight of these surgical patients.

12 Apr 2019

Proton therapy shows excellent outcomes, minimal side effects in high-risk neuroblastoma patients

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed the largest cohort to date of pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with proton radiation therapy, finding both that proton therapy was effective at reducing tumors and demonstrated minimal toxicity to surrounding organs.

10 Apr 2019

Study reveals new insights into genetic drivers of heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder

A large genomic study of nearly 275,000 people led by Penn Medicine researchers revealed new insights into genetic drivers of heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder, the uncontrollable pattern of alcohol use commonly referred to as alcoholism.

2 Apr 2019

Educating doctors alone may not have a noticeable effect on prescribing rates, study shows

Purely educating doctors about the importance of prescribing certain therapies may not be enough to make a meaningful impact, according to a new Penn Medicine study.

29 Mar 2019

Naltrexone implant more effective in reducing relapses in HIV patients with opioid addiction

When patients with HIV who are also battling opioid dependence go without addiction treatment, they are more likely to stop taking their HIV medications than drug-free patients.

22 Mar 2019

Access to real-time genotype data influences prescriber behavior after PCI

Today, in a late-breaking featured clinical research session at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2018, researchers from Penn Medicine present first-of-its-kind data on the impact of real-time CYP2C19 genotype results when prescribing antiplatelet drugs in the clinic.

13 Mar 2019

Research reveals high prevalence of sepsis-related mortality in hospital settings

Sepsis is a major contributor to disability, death and health care costs in the United States and worldwide. A growing recognition of the high burden of sepsis as well as media coverage of high-profile, sepsis-induced deaths have catalyzed new efforts to prevent and manage the disease.

12 Mar 2019

Alzheimer's disease often detected late due to lack of screening finds report

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is fast becoming an important presence. A new survey released as part of the Alzheimer's Association's 2019 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report has revealed that there is often a delay in seeking help for dementia and associated cognitive decline.

6 Mar 2019

Listening to older patients who want to stop dialysis

Dr. Susan Wong sat down with an 84-year-old patient in the hospital, where he'd been admitted with a flare-up of a serious autoimmune condition and deteriorating kidney function.

28 Feb 2019

Penn researchers cure nine HCV patients following heart transplants from infected donors

Nine patients at Penn Medicine have been cured of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) following lifesaving heart transplants from deceased donors who were infected with the disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Transplantation.

25 Feb 2019

More states say doctors must offer overdose reversal drug along with opioids

In a growing number of states, patients who get opioids for serious pain may leave their doctors' offices with a second prescription — for naloxone, a drug that can save their lives if they overdose on the powerful painkillers.

21 Feb 2019

Penn study reveals increase in health-related internet searches before ER visits

Health-related internet searches doubled during the week before patients visited an emergency department, according to a new study from researchers at Penn Medicine who examined consenting patients' Google search histories in relation to their electronic health records.

20 Feb 2019

Fetal signaling pathways may offer future opportunities to treat lung damage

Specialized lung cells appear in the developing fetus much earlier than scientists previously thought. A new animal study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports how cells that become alveoli, the tiny compartments in which gas exchange occurs in the lung, begin their specialized roles very early in prenatal life.

18 Feb 2019

Study estimates how common, preventable are sepsis-related deaths in hospitals

This study estimates how common sepsis-related deaths are in hospitals and how preventable those deaths might be.

18 Feb 2019

AGS Beers Criteria tool aims to make medications appropriate for older people

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today unveiled its latest update to one of geriatrics' most frequently cited reference tools: The AGS Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults.

1 Feb 2019

Penn's novel ERAS protocol for spinal surgery patients reduces opioid use

A novel "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery" (ERAS) protocol developed by Penn Medicine for patients undergoing spinal and peripheral nerve surgery significantly reduced opioid use.

25 Jan 2019

Fueling macrophages with energy to attack and eat cancer cells

Immune cells called macrophages are supposed to serve and protect, but cancer has found ways to put them to sleep. Now researchers at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania say they've identified how to fuel macrophages with the energy needed to attack and eat cancer cells.

21 Jan 2019