Health And Medicine
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Study suggests improvements for ‘care transitions’ in hospitals
Special care needs to be taken during patient transfers within hospitals, according to a study by a researcher from Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt. Read MoreJun 8, 2015
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Study identifies C. diff toxin receptor, suggests new treatment approaches
Vanderbilt University investigators have identified a cellular receptor for a toxin from Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States. Read MoreJun 4, 2015
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Dalley’s contributions to anatomical sciences recognized
Arthur Dalley, Ph.D., professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt, recently received the highest education award for human anatomy education in the anatomical sciences during the 2015 Experimental Biology meeting in Boston. Read MoreJun 4, 2015
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Study highlights need for orthopaedic surgeons to use caution when prescribing opioid pain medications
A Vanderbilt physician researcher is highlighting that orthopaedic surgeons are among the highest prescribers of opioid pain medicine in the United States and calling on practitioners to exercise caution when prescribing the potentially addictive pain medicine. Read MoreJun 4, 2015
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Research at U.S. academic medical centers faces threats to sustainable support
Unstable federal research funding and reductions in health care revenue for academic medical centers threatens to undermine the nation’s biomedical research enterprise, and in turn clinical medicine, which the nation needs now more than ever. Read MoreMay 28, 2015
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New colorectal surgery protocol reduces length of hospital stay by 25 percent
For colorectal surgery patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the introduction last summer of a new patient care protocol, which includes intensive follow-up by anesthesiologists in the hospital, has led to an average 25 percent reduction in hospital length of stay after surgery — from four days to three — and 90 percent reduction in the use of opioids to treat post-operative pain. Read MoreMay 28, 2015
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VU study to explore Accountable Care Organizations’ impact on cancer screenings
As health care organizations implement new strategies to improve quality and reduce costs, a physician researcher at VUMC is setting out to identify whether there could be unintended effects. Read MoreMay 28, 2015
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Study seeks to bolster outcomes for acute heart failure patients
With support from a three-year, $2 million research grant from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the American Heart Association are teaming up to study heart failure care in the Emergency Department. Read MoreMay 21, 2015
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‘Redesigned’ antibodies may control HIV: study
With the help of a computer program called “Rosetta,” researchers at Vanderbilt University have “redesigned” an antibody that has increased potency and can neutralize more strains of the AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than can any known natural antibody. Read MoreMay 21, 2015
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Grant helps expand training outreach program in Kenya
In an especially underserved region of western Kenya, expectant mothers requiring cesarean section are the focus of a new $2.6 million grant to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Kenya’s AIC Kijabe Hospital and the Kenya-based Center for Public Health and Development. Read MoreMay 21, 2015
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Study shows probiotics may help ease allergies
Using probiotics may help alleviate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR), also known as seasonal or perennial allergies, according to a Vanderbilt study that reviewed 23 previous trials. Read MoreMay 21, 2015
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Study to explore optimal daily aspirin dose for heart health
The Vanderbilt-based Mid-South Clinical Data Research Network (CDRN) is among seven CDRNs that will collaboratively mount a three-year, $14 million randomized clinical trial to determine the best daily dose of aspirin for preventing heart attacks and strokes among people living with heart disease. Read MoreMay 21, 2015
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Preventing early pregnancy complications
The enzyme alkaline phosphatase may provide a new therapeutic option for women at high risk of pregnancy complications due to bacterial toxin exposure. Read MoreMay 20, 2015
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Tools for exploring ‘omics’ data
The NetGestalt computing portal integrates vast amounts of data to aid users in finding biologically and clinically relevant information. Read MoreMay 18, 2015
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Boosting cell-based heart repair
A metabolic change in adult stem cells makes them less “fit” for regenerative heart therapies, suggesting that strategies to prevent this response may boost the therapeutic usefulness of the cells. Read MoreMay 15, 2015
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Jansen’s cancer research efforts garner recognition
Valerie Malyvanh Jansen, M.D., Ph.D., a third-year medical oncology fellow, recently received several national awards and grants, as well as a Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center fellowship, in recognition of her translational cancer research. Read MoreMay 14, 2015
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Insights on lysosomal storage diseases
A novel mechanism could point to new therapies for a group of inherited diseases that share pathological features. Read MoreMay 14, 2015
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Grant spurs study of rare breathing condition in women
A research team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been approved for a $2.7 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS), a rare condition that inexplicably causes middle-aged women to struggle to breathe. Read MoreMay 7, 2015
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Surgery for tongue tie shows some benefits; more research needed
Surgically treating “tongue tie” in infants may be associated with improved breast-feeding and reduced nipple pain, as reported by mothers, but much more research is needed on best practices for treating the condition, according to a newly published systematic review. Read MoreMay 7, 2015
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Findings reveal new target in quest to ease schizophrenia
Vanderbilt University researchers have uncovered a surprising finding that could lead to the development of new, more effective therapies for schizophrenia, which affects more than 2 million Americans. Read MoreMay 7, 2015