Health Sciences In The Media

Michel Corban, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the UArizona Sarver Heart Center, explains the causes and symptoms of spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). “Four percent of all heart attacks are related to SCAD and in particular, up to 35 percent of heart attacks in women less than 50 years of age are related to SCAD,” Corban said.

Though it sounds logical, a bar of soap itself isn't necessarily self-cleaning. "Believe it or not, there have been quite a few peer-reviewed, published studies on this exact topic," said Kelly Reynolds, PhD, a professor of environmental health sciences at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Malawi health officials have declared an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 after a case was confirmed in a three-year-old girl, the first case in Africa in five years, according to the World Health Organization. Kacey C. Ernst, PhD, MPH, a professor and infectious disease epidemiologist at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in Tucson, is interviewed.

The infant formula Abbott recall was announced after four infants developed bacterial infections after consuming the formula. “In infants, Salmonella can cause infection of the gut, bloodstream infection, infection of the bones/joints, and meningitis,” said Kareem Shehab, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

The article cites a study by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences that found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 92% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children between the ages of 12 and 17. The lead author Karen Lutrick, PhD, an assistant professor at the College of Medicine – Tucson, is quoted.

The inaugural chest pain guideline from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association redefines how physicians discuss chest pain with patients and provides a detailed clinical decision pathway for diagnosis and management. Joseph S. Alpert, MD, a professor of medicine and cardiologist at the UArizona Sarver Heart Center and College of Medicine – Tucson, is quoted.

Researchers at the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson have developed a new way to provide earlier diagnosis of lung disease. The method involves analyzing metabolites, small molecules that are produced through cellular metabolic reactions.

The UArizona Poison and Drug Information Center and Banner Poison Control Center have reported a significant increase in calls related to marijuana from health care professionals. Steven Dudley, PharmD, DABAT, a clinical toxicologist in the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy and director of the UArizona Poison and Drug Information Center, is quoted.

The COVID-19 vaccine authorization for younger children was delayed as the FDA seeks to review new data. Saman Nematollahi, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the College of Medicine – Tucson, is interviewed.

The legacy of racism in healthcare for Black patients in America has been a pressing issue that has an impact when someone goes in for critical care. Victoria Murrain, DO, vice dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at the College of Medicine – Tucson, discusses what the college is doing to build an environment where true diversity can thrive.