Venous access is famously difficult in many patients, and devices have been developed in the past to make veins easier to see. Seeing narrow veins doesn’t make it much easier to get inside of them, but the Veinplicity device from Physeon, a Swiss company that’s part of Germany’s Novintum Medical Technology, actually makes veinsmore engorged and less of a challenge to access. We spoke with Pat Kullman, CEO of Physeon, and Tina...
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Ultra-high-field brain scanner receives FDA approval for clinical use
The ultra-high-field 7T Terra magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (INI) of the Keck School of Medicine of USC has received FDA approval for clinical use, opening up new avenues of care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other diseases that affect the...
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Plant-based or vegan diet may be best for keeping type 2 diabetes in check
A predominantly plant-based or vegan diet may be best for keeping type 2 diabetes in check, not least because of its potential impact on mood, suggests a systematic review of the available evidence, published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. Credit: CC0 Public Domain This diet is associated with improved psychological wellbeing,...
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Trippy depression treatment? Hopes and hype for ketamine
It was launched decades ago as an anesthetic for animals and people became a potent battlefield pain reliever in Vietnam and morphed into the trippy club drug Special K. Now the chameleon drug ketamine is finding new life as an unapproved treatment for depression and suicidal behavior. Clinics have opened around the United States promising...
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How salt can trigger inflammation in multiple sclerosis
Researchers at Yale have identified a high-salt environment as one of the contributing factors to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). In a new study published Oct. 29 in the journal Nature Immunology, they report just how salt can trigger the potentially disabling autoimmune disorder. Credit: CC0 Public Domain First author Tomokazu Sumida, a researcher...
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University of Barcelona researchers describe a new anatomic structure in the ankle
This ligament complex would explain chronic pain after an ankle sprain UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA According to the guidelines of human anatomy, the ligaments in the ankle are grouped structured by two ligament complexes: the lateral collateral ligament -in the side of the joint and formed by three independent ligaments- and the medial or deltoid collateral ligament. In this new...
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ER patients given ketamine, other powerful drugs in clinical trials without their consent, FDA finds
A Minneapolis hospital tested powerful antipsychotics and the potent anesthetic ketamine on emergency room patients without their knowledge or consent, violating regulations on human research, federal inspectors have determined. Based on those findings, a health watchdog group on Monday urged federal regulators to suspend all clinical trials at the hospital. In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services office that protects...
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Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Versus Parkinson’s Disease
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare brain disorder that affects approximately 6 in 100,000 people worldwide. It causes muscle weakness and affects gait, balance and overall movement, as well as the patient’s mood, cognitive skills and behavior. While no treatment is available at this time, various symptoms can be managed with the use of medication or other...
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Cannabis oil shown to significantly improve Crohn’s disease symptoms
In the first study of its kind, cannabis oil has been shown to significantly improve the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and the quality of life of sufferers but, contrary to previous medical thinking, has no effect on gut inflammation. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, researchers from Israel have shown that cannabis can produce clinical remission...
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Microfluidic Chips to Diagnose and Characterize Cancer: Interview with Prof. Fatih Sarioglu, Georgia Tech
Research into microfluidic devices to aid in cancer diagnosis promises huge leaps in making diagnostics easier and faster. Much of this research is focused on chips that can trap circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which are present in blood samples. CTCs are released from a primary tumor and can form metastases in other sites in the body, a process which is responsible...