Does air pollution cause autism?
As we settle into 2015, quite a few announcements and research results are making waves this week. Let us know which stories piqued your interest.
Autism and Pollution
A new study released this week from the Nurses Health Study II cohort looked at over 113,000 women around the issues of autism and pregnancy. Researchers found a correlation between air pollution particulate during pregnancy, particularly during the third trimester, and children later developing autism.
3D Printing Preps Surgeons
In two separate cases, patients created 3D images to guide surgeons before the surgery took place. A man in England printed out his kidney to help his surgeon pinpoint and remove a kidney stone. A female patient was facing a tricky removal of a tumor above the eye. Her husband printed and shipped a 3D image of her skull with the tumor to help surgeons prep for what turned out to be an innovative, minimally invasive procedure. Other medical centers are catching on and we think this could be widespread soon.
Wounds Monitored by Smart Phone
Wounds don’t always heal properly. Currently, the only way to monitor healing, is to unwrap the wounds and poke, even smell, the area for signs of infection. Researchers at Mass General Hospital developed a “smart bandage” that is painted on the injury site and measures oxygen levels. If oxygen levels are low, the bandage will show the area in red, indicating further medical assessment. The best part, a doctor can check in via smart phone without needing to see the patient.
Head of Medicare/Medicaid Stepping Down
Marilyn B. Tavenner, the head of Medicare and Medicaid will be stepping down in February. Tavenner oversaw the roll-out of the ACA including the complete botch of the federal insurance signup site. The White House has not named a replacement. Do you think Tavenner leaving is good for Medicare/Medicaid?
Assaults Against Doctors Common
We made the news this week when we released poll results from over 2,000 physicians. Seventy-one percent of doctors reported being the victim of either verbal or physical assault. The SERMOpoll sparked discussion on social media; many health care workers talked about their experiences. How would you limit assaults on health care workers?
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