The crisp white coat has long been worn to symbolize a profession—and purity. But some studies show the coats are teeming with microbes picked up in patient rooms. Philip Lederer (Mass General), Paul Sax (Brigham and Women’s) and Michael S. Calderwood (Brigham and Women’s) are quoted.
Social and economic factors may influence who is most likely to get surgery for early-stage pancreatic cancer, a new study suggests. Eliminating these gaps could improve outcomes, the authors say. Jason Gold (Boston VA Medical Center) is senior author of the study.
A three-year old, largely virtual biotech firm in Cambridge hopes to test a combination of two existing drugs in humans starting next year as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. Rudolph Tanzi (Mass General) is quoted.
Customers who normally use the Uber smartphone app to call for a ride will be able to request a flu shot, and a nurse in an Uber car will show up at their home or office in about three dozen cities across the country starting Thursday. John Brownstein (Boston Children’s) is quoted.
Some experts now advise men not to get the blood test that can pick up prostate cancer, but that may be putting certain men at risk. Quoc-Dien Trinh (Brigham and Women’s) is quoted.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center believe they have discovered a new way to treat one of the leading causes of vision loss, an approach that favors eye drops in place of a commonly used procedure that involves eye injections with a needle. Richard Sidman (Beth Israel Deaconess) and Harold Dvorak (Beth Israel Deaconess) are quoted.
