Focus Feature: New protocol allows teen to go home same day as chest surgery
Physicians at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center were the first to publish research demonstrating the potential of same-day discharge for young patients with pectus excavatum, a congenital chest deformity. The procedure that the physicians pioneered allowed teenager John Connell, seen here playing the flute in his family band, to go home the same day he had surgery to repair his sunken-in chest.
R&E News and Features
COVID-19 vaccine trials for children are underway
New video: When their parents asked if they wanted to be part of a COVID-19 vaccine trial for children, Aidan and Avery Shih didn’t have to think about it for long. Both were eager to help end the pandemic. See the story and the video.
Risk of severe COVID-19 higher for patients who recently needed asthma care
Patients who needed clinical visits for asthma care in the 12 months prior to infection faced a higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes than patients who did not have asthma.
Where you live may affect your long-term survival after heart attack
Black patients from disadvantaged neighborhoods were significantly more likely to die within 5 years of surviving a heart attack than white patients. In contrast, there was no difference in rates of death between white patients and Black patients who lived in well-resourced neighborhoods.
Risk of blood clots more than 3-fold higher in hospitalized adults with COVID-19
Hospitalized adults who have COVID-19 are more than 3 times as likely to develop a blood clot than adults who do not have COVID-19.
In the News
Asthma sufferers who treat their disease have better COVID-19 outcomes, study says
NBC Los AngelesAugust 10, 2021Ethnically diverse study finds COVID-19 increases risk of venous thromboembolism
Pulmonology AdvisorAugust 3, 2021Mom’s weight-loss surgery lowers many pregnancy complications, raises others
U.S. News & World ReportJuly 27, 2021
Five questions...
for Dr. Sonya Negriff
A developmental psychologist with expertise in the effects of child maltreatment on physical and mental health, Dr. Sonya Negriff has been with the Department of Research & Evaluation for 3 years. Dr. Negriff examines the pathways linking child maltreatment to negative outcomes such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, obesity, and sexual risk behaviors. The goal of her studies is to find ways to prevent these negative outcomes.