Each year, approximately 4,000 children undergo a tracheostomy-;the surgical placement of a breathing tube-;due to respiratory or neuromuscular disorders or chronic disease progression. Bacterial respiratory infections are the most common reason for hospitalization of these children at a cost of $300 million in U. S. hospital charges. In spite of its frequency, there is very […]
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Apes mount a much stronger early immune response compared to African and Asian monkeys
A new study out of the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in humans, chimpanzees, rhesus macaques and baboons has found key differences in early gene expression in response to pathogen exposure, highlighting the importance of choosing the right animal model for the right questions. The study was published on March 26 […]
Blocking folate metabolism could reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in infected cells
The novel beta-coronavirus virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and coronaviruses, in general, alter the host's cellular metabolism to support massive production of ~30 kB viral genomes and subgenomic viral RNAs. However, how this is achieved is largely unknown. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Broad Institute […]
COVID-19 patients have higher risk of stroke, finds study
New research found patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a higher risk of stroke, compared with patients who had similar infectious conditions such as influenza and sepsis in prior studies. Those who had an ischemic stroke were more likely to be older, male, Black race, or have high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or an irregular […]
New evidence supports the use of antisense oligonucleotides as feasible therapeutic strategy for MDS
Many cognitive neurodevelopmental disorders are a result of too many or too few copies of certain genes or chromosomes. To date, no treatment options exist for this class of disorders. MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is one such disorder that primarily affects boys and results from a duplication spanning the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) locus […]
Could rising temperatures send more people with multiple sclerosis to the hospital?
As average temperatures around the globe climb, a preliminary study has found people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may expect worsening symptoms, enough to send them to the hospital more often. The preliminary study released today, March 2, 2021, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 73rd Annual Meeting being held virtually April 17 […]
Sorting out how politics, policies figure in flap over New York nursing home Covid death rates
The plaudits have faded for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Once hailed as a paragon of pandemic governing, he's since come under scorching criticism for undercounting the state's Covid deaths among nursing home residents by as much as half. The tallying flap drew attention to another misstep: a policy last March that directed nursing homes […]
Electronic doctors’ notes could help hospitals plan for surges in COVID-19 cases
A new study, published today in Nature Digital Medicine, found that 'natural language processing' (NLP) of information routinely recorded by doctors – as part of patients' electronic health records – reveal vital trends that could help clinical teams forecast and plan for surges in patients. The researchers from King's College London, King's College Hospital NHS […]
Study explores the perceptions and use of antibiotics among older adults
While most adults over 50 understand that overuse of antibiotics is a problem, and say they're cautious about taking the drugs, a sizable minority have used antibiotics for something other than their original purpose, and appear to think the drugs could help treat colds, which are caused by viruses not bacteria. These findings, contained in […]
Study examines to what extent surgical site infection rates correlate with surveillance quality audits
The incidence of surgical site infections after an operation is an important quality indicator for hospitals. An overview from six European countries published in 2017 documented increased costs and, in some cases, significantly poorer surgical outcomes due to SSIs. The European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) and authorities in the U.S. have therefore defined criteria […]