From compassionate connections to infection prevention: Addressing the xylazine crisis
To address the xylazine crisis in Philadelphia, Penn Medicine employees are offering support within the health system and in the community.
2 min. read
In 2020, Philadelphia emerged as the epicenter of the xylazine crisis. By the end of 2023, this drug was found in more than 90% of illicit fentanyl samples in the city. Xylazine, which is not intended for human use, is linked to fatal overdoses and can result in distinct soft tissue wounds on the body that can become deep and difficult to heal; untreated wounds are more susceptible to infection.
Penn Medicine staff in Philadelphia are working to support people with xylazine-related wounds, both within hospitals and through volunteer efforts in the community.
Pattie Lamoreaux, a medical/surgical resource float pool nurse, helps patients care for themselves and manage wounds outside of clinical settings by offering wound care kits. A 2023 Penn Medicine CAREs grant funded the materials for wound care kits, including gauze, bandages, printed directions for wound care, and a tote bag. Lamoreaux collaborated with wound care specialists and pharmacy staff for guidance on appropriate items for the bags. They also include rinse-free soap, which patients are particularly happy to receive, says Lamoreaux. “Many patients who are experiencing housing insecurity may not have access to running water to wash the wounds. Rinse-free soap is a safe solution to properly clean bacteria.”
James Sherman and Emily Seeburger spend their Saturday afternoons in Kensington, serving the more than 300 individuals who arrive each weekend seeking care through the Everywhere Project, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that provides harm reduction services to those experiencing substance use. Together, they organize a team of fellow volunteers to staff wound care and harm reduction.
Sherman, a clinical research coordinator at Penn Medicine’s Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy, was inspired to volunteer with the Everywhere Project after his own experiences overcoming addiction. “Being on the receiving end of [the Everywhere Project] meant a lot to me,” he says. “When I entered recovery, I wanted to be a part of it and help others.”
Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form.
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies.
In honor of Valentine's Day, and as a way of fostering community in her Shakespeare in Love course, Becky Friedman took her students to the University Club for lunch one class period. They talked about the movie "Shakespeare in Love," as part of a broader conversation on how Shakespeare's works are adapted.
In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love.
Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion
Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.
