Injection Of Stem Cells May Help Save Babies Born With Only One Half Of Their Heart Working
Right now, the only course of treatment is heart surgery, and even then, only 60 percent of the children celebrate their 5th birthdays. But a new study is offering families hope. In other public health news: sepsis, brain health, blood pressure and PTSD in sexual assault victims.
The Washington Post:
Stem Cells Could Boost This Maryland Baby’s Heart And Chance For A Normal Life
Surgeons trying a new way to save the life of a baby born with half a heart stood over her open chest and waited for the FedEx box. Doctors in Miami had sent overnight two small vials of stem cells to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Now the Baltimore surgeons would inject the cells, derived from a donor’s bone marrow, into the tiny, defective heart of 4-month-old Autumn. (Cohn, 3/12)
The Washington Post:
Doctors Ignored The Signs Of A Deadly Condition, She Says. Now She Has No Legs Or Fingers.
It was supposed to be a joyous and memorable time: Magdalena Malec was pregnant with her third child, and her other two were no doubt counting down the days until Christmas. But by the time Christmas Day arrived in 2014, Malec had miscarried and been diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. Malec, who had been sent home days earlier with medication to ease her discomfort, was now in agony and back at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, 35 miles from London, according to an account from her attorney. (Bever, 3/12)
The Washington Post:
Doctors Find Air Pocket Where Part Of Man’s Brain Should Be
The 84-year-old man arrived in the emergency room with complaints that weren't uncommon for a patient his age. He had reported feeling unsteady over the past several months, culminating in repeated falls in recent weeks. In the three days leading up to his hospital visit, his left arm and leg had noticeably weakened. Still, there were no red flags in the man's medical history. He didn't smoke. He rarely drank. A blood test detected nothing abnormal. (Wang, 3/12)
Kaiser Health News:
Black Men’s Blood Pressure Is Cut Along With Their Hair
Amid the buzz of hair clippers and the beat of hip-hop, barber Corey Thomas squeezes in a little advice to the clients who come into his Inglewood, Calif., shop for shaves and fade cuts. Watch what you eat, he tells them. Check your blood pressure. Don’t take life so hard. “We’re a high statistic for … hypertension and everything, and it’s something we let go by,” Thomas said as he worked at the shop, A New You, on Friday. “Our customers, they’ll talk to us before they talk to anybody else.” (Abram, 3/12)
Georgia Health News:
Sexual Assault And PTSD: What’s Being Done For Survivors
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been discussed for decades as a problem for war veterans. But it is also one of the most common psychological effects seen in survivors of sexual assault. (Thomas, 3/10)
