News from NYU Langone Health
Preschool Teacher Is Donating Part Of Her Liver To 5-Year-Old Student. (BBC News)
BBC News (8/5) Preschool teacher Carissa Fisher will donate about 30 percent of her liver to former student, Ezra Toczek, this month at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Health, with Dr. Jennifer Vittorio, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, says this case offers a hopeful prognosis as Fisher is a young, healthy living donor and the transplant liver will adapt over time to Ezra, adding, “Even though Ezra will receive a portion of the liver from someone older than him, there are certain hormones in the body that will tell the liver what to do and grow with the patient.”
NYU Langone Health Celebrates Health Center Staff Appreciation Day. (News 12-TV Bronx (NY))
12-TV (8/5) NYU Langone Health will celebrate Health Center Staff Appreciation Day from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, August 9, as part of National Health Center Week, offering free blood pressure screenings, gifts, information, resources, and games.
Is Nail Polish Bad For Your Nails? (New York Times)
The New York Times (8/6) Adam I. Rubin, member of the faculty, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, confirmed that traditional nail polish does not directly harm fingernails or toenails, although prolonged use can cause cosmetic issues like surface staining from dark or red colors, which is not harmful but may be aesthetically displeasing.
Acne Sufferers Swear By ‘Insane’ Cure – The ‘Sunburning’ Trend: ‘Sorry Mom, It’s The Only Way’. (New York Post)
The New York Post (8/5) Jennifer A. Stein, MD, PhD, professor, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, associate vice chair, Faculty Practice Group, Department of Dermatology, indicated that individuals who have experienced sunburns have a heightened risk of developing skin cancer, adding, “The best way to protect yourself from UV rays is to cover up” because the more skin covered, “the less you have to depend on sunscreen for protection.”
Bad Facts Make Bad Policies In Reproductive Health. (Medscape)
Paywalled* Medscape (8/5)* Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor, Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics, expressed concerns about the prevalence of misinformation in discussions surrounding reproductive rights, abortion, and contraception, emphasizing the importance of science and medicine in providing accurate information to guide public policy, stating, “I do think it’s important that science and medicine speak up in local settings and every opportunity they have, not so much to say what government should do or to say whether they think a particular law is good or bad, but certainly to get the facts straight in their role as doctors, sometimes as scientists, and as caregivers.”
Things Doctors Refuse To Do In Bathrooms. (Health Digest)
Health Digest (8/5) Sitting on the toilet for more than 10 minutes can increase the risk of hemorrhoids due to the pressure on the veins in the anorectal area, according to Roshini Raj, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, who stated, “Just by that position, gravity is causing everything to hang a bit, and that is causing pressure on the veins.”
EHR Messages Drafted by AI Similar to Those From Providers. (JD Supra)
JD Supra (8/5) A study using queries from NYU Langone Health patients found that electronic health record messages drafted by generative AI were of similar quality and accuracy to those written by healthcare professionals, with study lead William R. Small, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Medicine stating, “The findings suggest chatbots could reduce the workload of care providers by enabling efficient and empathetic responses to patients’ concerns.”
Some Experts Say Many Opioid Deaths Are Not Overdoses – They’re Poisonings. (San Diego Voice & Viewpoint)
The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint (8/5) A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that in 2020, the opioid-related death rate among Black Americans exceeded that of their white counterparts for the first time since the opioid crisis was declared in the United States some two decades ago; similar national studies have been published recently by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Can Heading A Soccer Ball Cause A Concussion? (PopSugar)
PopSugar (8/4) Dennis A. Cardone, DO, associate professor, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, and Pediatrics, chief, Division of Primary Care Sports Medicine, explains that while headers increase the risk of concussion, collisions with other players are more likely to cause one, stating, “Sure, when you look at the data, most concussions do occur with heading, but it’s not head-ball contact, it’s head-to-head contact.”
