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Michele W. Berger
Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Medicine
Spending on charity care stalled as Medicaid expanded
Spending on charity care stalled as Medicaid expanded
A new study shows increased coverage for lower-income patients did not lead to more community benefit spending from hospitals between 2011 and 2017.
Navigating cytokine storms
Navigating cytokine storms
Pairing their expertise, Nilam Mangalmurti of the Perelman School of Medicine and Christopher Hunter of the School of Veterinary Medicine have been working to understand the protective and harmful aspects of the immune response, including in COVID-19.
Long-term use of muscle relaxants has skyrocketed since 2005
Long-term use of muscle relaxants has skyrocketed since 2005
Penn Medicine researchers found the drugs were prescribed disproportionately to older adults, often concurrently with opioids, despite warnings against this dangerous combination.
To heal meniscus injuries, researchers go to the heart of a cell
To heal meniscus injuries, researchers go to the heart of a cell
Using an enzyme inhibitor in meniscus cells, a Penn team is able to soften the cells’ nucleus and promote access to previously impassible tissue.
Glowing dye may aid in eliminating cancer
Glowing dye may aid in eliminating cancer
In dogs with mammary tumors, researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine used a substance that glows under near-infrared light to illuminate cancer.
Why flu vaccinations will matter even more during the pandemic
Why flu vaccinations will matter even more during the pandemic
From a financial standpoint, a new paper makes a case for widespread influenza vaccination based on estimates of the effectiveness of investments in mitigating both influenza and COVID-19.
Can spending time in nature prevent or lessen postpartum depression?
Can spending time in nature prevent or lessen postpartum depression?
Nurtured in Nature, a pilot project in Black communities conducted by Penn Medicine’s Eugenia South, aims to find out.
Researchers identify novel genetic variants linked to Type 2 diabetes
Researchers identify novel genetic variants linked to Type 2 diabetes
Largest-ever study of its kind finds variants that may predispose some people to develop the disease and related conditions like coronary heart disease and chronic kidney disease.
Pregnant in the pandemic: How Penn Medicine supports new and expectant parents
Pregnant in the pandemic: How Penn Medicine supports new and expectant parents
Medical staff in Penn’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology are meeting the challenge of optimizing care for pregnant patients during the pandemic.
Critically ill patients with COVID-19 at risk to develop heart rhythm disorders
Critically ill patients with COVID-19 at risk to develop heart rhythm disorders
A Penn study suggests cardiac arrests and arrhythmias are likely triggered by systemic illness, not solely due to the viral infection itself.
Media Contact
In the News
The New York Times
The wilderness of rare genetic diseases and the parents navigating it
Jim Wilson of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about his research at Penn’s Orphan Disease Center. “When I was practicing clinical genetics, it was limited to diagnosis and prognosis,” he said. “Now, in a limited number of diseases, there are potential treatments, if not cures.”
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NPR
For cancer patients, anguish grows over deferred surgery as risk rises
Ravi Parikh of the Perelman School of Medicine said the consequences of deferred medical treatments will play out of the next few months and years. “The No. 1 thing that I'm concerned about is the backlog of cases,” he said. “When there's this onslaught of appointments, surgeries, colonoscopies, chemotherapy appointments, it's not going to be at a slow pace.”
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Yahoo! News
In coronavirus pandemic, for health care workers, despair is only human
PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno and Stephen N. Xenakis of the Law School wrote about health care workers facing burnout and moral injury while working through the pandemic. “The health care workers fighting the ‘war on the virus’ deserve unqualified and public acknowledgment for their selfless service,” they wrote. “It is especially tough for them, and they should not be forgotten.”
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Bloomberg
Life-or-death hospital decisions come with threat of lawsuits
Allison Hoffman of the Law School said hospitals should apply consistent standards when triaging patients and rationing resources in order to avoid legal troubles down the line. Health care providers are “trying to look at what is reasonable and customary in uncharted territory,” she said.
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NPR
Her incredible sense of smell is helping scientists find new ways to diagnose disease
Richard Doty of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the use of scent signaling in diagnosing disease. “It used to be that physicians did use breath odor and other odors, to signify certain disorders. But that’s not really invoked presently, because we have so much better ways of [diagnosing] things,” he said.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Why the coronavirus and most other viruses have no cure
David Barnes of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the role of supportive care during viral outbreaks. “There are actually plenty of cures for viral illnesses,” he said. “We just don’t think of them as cures. We’re still kind of myopically fixated on finding a cure, when what we really should be doing is getting adequate basic nursing care for all patients.”
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