Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Massive Sepsis Trial Resembles 'An Experiment That Would Be Conducted On Laboratory Animals,' Advocates Say
The New York Times: Trial By Fire: Critics Demand That A Huge Sepsis Study Be Stopped
A large government trial comparing treatments for a life-threatening condition called sepsis is putting participants at risk of organ failure and even death, critics charge, and should be immediately shut down. A detailed analysis of the trial design prepared by senior investigators at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., concluded that the study “places seriously ill patients at risk without the possibility of gaining information that can provide benefits either to the subjects or to future patients.” (Rabin, 9/24)
The New York Times: Giving Malaria A Deadline
Malaria is among the world’s worst scourges. In 2016 the disease, which is caused by a parasite and transmitted by mosquitoes, infected 194 million people in Africa and caused 445,000 deaths. But biologists now have developed a way of manipulating mosquito genetics that forces whole populations of the insect to self-destruct. The technique has proved so successful in laboratory tests that its authors envisage malaria could be eliminated from large regions of Africa within two decades. (Wade, 9/24)
The New York Times: Should You Give Birth At A Birth Center?
When Gillian Tarr became pregnant with her second child, she chose a free-standing birth center in Seattle for her prenatal care and delivery. Her first baby had been born in a hospital, and while it was a relatively uncomplicated birth, she felt dissatisfied with the care she received. “It was impersonal and lacked any real support,” said Dr. Tarr, an epidemiologist now living in Calgary, Alberta. (Callahan, 9/25)
The Associated Press: WHO Warns Of ‘Perfect Storm’ For Ebola In Eastern Congo
The emergencies chief for the World Health Organization says insecurity, public defiance about vaccinations and political jockeying could create a “perfect storm” leading Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak to spread. Dr. Peter Salama says the response is at a “critical juncture” in eastern North Kivu province, where the outbreak was declared nearly two months ago. Health officials have counted 150 confirmed and probable cases, including over 100 deaths. (9/25)
The Associated Press: Implant, Intense Rehab Help 3 Paralyzed For Years Take Steps
Three people whose legs were paralyzed for years can stand and take steps again thanks to an electrical implant that zaps the injured spinal cord — along with months of intense rehab, researchers reported Monday. The milestone, reported by two teams of scientists working separately, isn't a cure. The patients walk only with assistance — holding onto a rolling walker or with other help to keep their balance. Switch off the spinal stimulator and they no longer can voluntarily move their legs. (Neergaard, 9/24)
The Washington Post: Paralyzed People Are Beginning To Walk With A New Kind Of Therapy
Kelly Thomas woke up in a Florida hospital four years ago with no recollection of the car accident that had robbed her of the ability to walk. Thomas, an active college student who had barrel raced in rodeos, moved to Kentucky for a year to try out a research study that she hoped would retrain her spinal cord on how to walk. In February, a trainer who had been scooting along the floor at Thomas’s feet, helping her move her legs and place her feet as she used a walker, stopped and stood up. (Johnson, 9/24)
