When a patient recovers—or convalesces—from a severe respiratory infection, the antibodies in their blood can help others who are still sick. Infectious Diseases Professor Sonya Heath, MD, MS, and Assistant Professor Todd McCarty, MD (pictured above) are spearheading a study to determine whether convalescent plasma can help patients who are ill with COVID-19. Last weekend, the physicians treated three patients as part of an expanded access clinical trial in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.
More Good News for May 6, 2020
Rudolph Navari, MD (Professor, Hematology and Oncology) and colleagues conducted a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, that showed the generic drug olanzapine produces a significant decrease in nausea and vomiting in patients with advanced cancer with no significant side effects.
Pulmonary Professors Rui-Ming Liu, MD, PhD, and Gang Liu, MD, PhD, have received a grant from the Department of Defense to study the role of the protein PAI-1 in lung fibrosis. They hope to ascertain the molecular mechanisms underlying this disease in hopes of ultimately identifying a therapeutic regimen for patients with fibrosis.
In a recent JAMA Internal Medicine Viewpoint, Anand Iyer, MD (Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) and colleagues explain why physicians who routinely treat patients with COPD should proactively integrate geriatrics and palliative care principles into daily practice.
Doug Morgan, MD, MPH (Professor and Director, Gastroenterology & Hepatology) and colleagues reported on the 16-year investigations (2002-18) of the largest ongoing population-based case-control study in Latin America. Their synopsis earned a poster of distinction award from the American Gastroenterological Society
The DOM extends another round of virtual high-fives to more fantastic teammates who are battling COVID-19 on the frontline. From a doctor who is on volunteer assignment in NYC, to hematologists studying COVID coagulation, to our indispensable nurses, we digitally salute you!
DOM physician Dr. Vera Bittner (Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) will present "Cardiovascular Implications of COVID-19" at Medical Grand Rounds next Wednesday, May 13, at noon, via Zoom. The session will be recorded for later viewing.
For many, our prior illusions of safety and security have been stripped away from us, leaving us feeling like strangers in a strange land. As we contemplate venturing out again, Dr. Well-Be reminds us that we can, and must, find new ways to bravely make ourselves at home in this new world.