Culture

PHILADELPHIA—University of Pennsylvania researchers have successfully genetically engineered the immune cells of 12 HIV positive patients to resist infection, and decreased the viral loads of some patients taken off antiretroviral drug therapy (ADT) entirely—including one patient whose levels became undetectable. The study, appearing today in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first published report of any gene editing approach in humans.

ROSEMONT, Ill.–A new study appearing in the March issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) showed that women with distal radius (wrist) fractures had decreased strength compared to similar patients without fractures. This could explain why these women were more likely to fall and might sustain future fractures.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 4, 2013 – The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) today announced the results of survey research aimed at discovering patient and family satisfaction with acute care transfers for patients with STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction), a severe heart attack best treated quickly with specialized care.

Making your own stuff with a 3D printer is vastly cheaper than what you'd pay for manufactured goods, even factoring in the cost of buying the plastic filament.

Yet, you can drive the cost down even more by making your own filament from old milk jugs. And, while you are patting yourself on the back for saving 99 cents on the dollar, there's a bonus: you can feel warm and fuzzy about preserving the environment.

Child abuse is a reliable predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder, but not all maltreated children suffer from it, according to Chad Shenk, assistant professor of human development and family studies, Penn State, who examined why some maltreated children develop PTSD and some do not.

Philadelphia, Pa. (March 4, 2014) – Prehospital stroke alerts by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel can shorten the time to effective treatment with "clot-busting" drugs for patients with stroke, according to a report in the March issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

A research project led by Oxford University is showing how patient experiences can be used to improve healthcare – not through targets and surveys, but by getting doctors, nurses and patients talking together about care on the ward.

A program designed to move families out of high-poverty neighborhoods resulted in reduced rates of depression and conduct disorder among girls, but increased rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and conduct disorder among boys, according to a study published in the March 5 issue of JAMA.

San Francisco, Calif. – March 5, 2014 – A new study from the University of Washington has found that performance on Lumosity games can distinguish between patients with cirrhosis of the liver, pre-cirrhotic patients, and healthy controls. The study used Lumosity games as psychometric tests to detect subtle cognitive impairments in patients with cirrhosis. The study is published in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

While a number of strategies can prevent and control HIV transmission and spread, their effective use depends on understanding the sexual networks within and between communities. A paper published in this week's PLOS Medicine reports a detailed analysis with surprising results from the Rakai district in Uganda, one of the most studied areas of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.

Although some research has suggested that the use of the anticoagulant warfarin for atrial fibrillation among patients with chronic kidney disease would increase the risk of death or stroke, a study that included more than 24,000 patients found a lower l-year risk of the combined outcomes of death, heart attack or stroke without a higher risk of bleeding, according to a study in the March 5 issue of JAMA.

The use of chemotherapy in terminally-ill cancer patients in the last months of life is associated with increased risk of undergoing resuscitation and dying in an intensive care unit, suggests a paper published on bmj.com today.

The researchers suggest that end-of-life discussions may be particularly important for patients receiving chemotherapy and suggest that caregivers should ensure that patients are aware of their prognosis, likely outcomes of treatment and that their choices are aligned with their end-of-life values.

NEW YORK (March 4, 2014) -- Terminal cancer patients who receive chemotherapy in the last months of their lives are less likely to die where they want and are more likely to undergo invasive medical procedures than those who do not receive chemotherapy, according to research in this week's BMJ.

Boston (March 4, 2014) — Two early clinical studies of novel HIV prevention products for women — the first combination antiretroviral (ARV) vaginal ring and a vaginal film — show the products to be safe and open the door to product improvements that could expand options for women-initiated prevention tools. The results of both studies were presented today at the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).

FAIRFAX, Va.—Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) often brings with it the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), an under-recognized but serious complication that often causes long-term disability for patients. During March's DVT Awareness Month, the Society of Interventional Radiology wants to help patients and family members to better understand the long-term risks of DVT.