Sinusitis Solved
If your sinuses are always stuffed up, your microbiome may be to blame. The microbiome is the community of microorganisms, such as bacteria, that share each individual’s body and live in the mouth, skin and intestines. Research from Saint Louis University, published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, found that chronic sinus inflammation is often caused by immune system overreaction to harmless microbes that live in nasal passages. RAJEEV AURORA, PH.D., is the study’s author.
Hip Help
Resurfacing a hip, rather than replacing it, may be better for young and active patients, according to research from Washington University School of Medicine. During resurfacing, surgeons reshape the surface of the hip joint rather than removing part of the femur and inserting an artificial stem, as is the case in hip replacement. The study, published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, reveals patients who undergo resurfacing report less limping and pain and are more likely to return to important activities. Additionally, resurfacing preserves more of a patient’s thigh bone. DR. ROBERT L. BARRACK is the first author.
Preventing Pain
Research at Saint Louis University is shedding light on the causes of chemotherapy pain. Chemotherapy often causes neuropathy, which manifests as tingling, numbness or burning in the limbs. SLU researchers have linked it to two pain-producing molecules, according to findings published in the journal Pain. Head researcher DANIELA SALVEMINI, PH.D., received grants from the NIH and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to test her hypothesis that blocking production and metabolism of these molecules will stop chemotherapy pain and allow doctors to use more effective doses of medicine.
Aging Gracefully
Wondering how to talk to your aging parents gently about their health? Researchers in the Washington University Department of Psychology are working on a solution. Using online surveys and phone calls to collect data about how adult children communicate with their senior parents, they’re developing a tool to help families broach the delicate subject. They’re still looking for participants; interested families with a single parent over 60 and at least two adult kids should email aging@wustl.edu.
Improving Organ Donation
Harvesting organs from donors is a task best done in a facility dedicated specifically for that purpose, according to a Washington University Medical School study published in American Journal of Transplantation. While extracting donations in typical hospitals can be delayed by operating room tie-ups, using a stand-alone harvesting facility is more efficient and lowers costs. Mid-America Transplant Services built the nation’s first designated organ-retrieval facility in St. Louis in 2001. Between 2001 and 2011, the average cost of retrieving a liver for transplant at Barnes-Jewish Hospital dropped 37 percent, and surgeons’ average travel time to pick up the liver dropped 5.3 hours. DR. M.B. MAJELLA DOYLE is the first author.
by Rebecca Koenig
