Tagged: Boston Medical Center
Marathon Bombing Victims Aided by Rapid Response, Imaging of Injuries
Media Contacts:
Dawn Peters (US) +1 781-388-8408
Ben Norman (UK) +44 (0) 1243 770375
sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
The Boston Marathon bombing brought international attention back to the devastating effects of terrorism. There were numerous victims with severe injuries that needed immediate attention. A novel study in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), presents cases from Boston-area hospitals where victims were treated, examining the medical response and imagining technologies used to save lives and limbs.
On April 15, 2013, at approximately 2:49 p.m. two pressure-cooker bombs exploded one after the other at the Boston Marathon finish line. As a result of the bombings, there were three fatalities and 264 casualties, with the most severe injuries involving lower extremities of those located closest to the blasts. Shrapnel disbursed by the bombs included pieces of metal, nails and ball bearings. Injuries resulting from the Marathon bombing are relevant to the fields of rheumatology, rehabilitation, orthopedics and musculoskeletal imaging.
“In an era of terrorism, even clinicians serving non-military patients need to understand the spectrum of injuries caused by bomb explosions,” explains lead author Dr. Ali Guermazi, Professor of Radiology at Boston University School of Medicine and one of the many specialists treating bombing victims at Boston Medical Center. “Critically ill bomb-blast patients needed quick assessments of their injuries, which had the most devastating effects to the lower limbs.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bombing survivors have the highest incidence of injury to soft tissue and musculoskeletal systems with the most extreme injury being traumatic amputation, which is reported in up to 3% of cases. The CDC defines primary blast injuries as those caused by the blast wave—extremely compressed air moving away from the explosion—that can damage the lungs, bowel and ears. As the wave moves from the site of the explosion it creates a vacuum, which pulls materials and debris back toward the source of the bomb blast—the refilling of this void is known as the blast wind.
Victims from the Boston Marathon bombing were subject to blast waves and blast wind resulting in soft tissue damage, limb fractures, and amputations. The study demonstrates the systematic need to exam each extremity for musculoskeletal, neurological and vascular damage. In accordance with previous evidence, radiography (X-ray) and computed tomography (CT-scan) should be used liberally to detect foreign objects, to define basic penetration patterns, and assess bony and soft tissue injuries.
Dr. Guermazi concludes, “While blast injuries within civilian populations are rare in the U.S., when they do occur it challenges the medical community to rapidly respond to concurrent evaluation and treatment of many victims. We suggest that in urgent situations, like the Boston Marathon bombing, radiology resources be used liberally to save the lives and limbs of patients.”
BMC, BUSM Geriatrician Honored with Ewald W. Busse Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2013
Contact: Gina Orlando, (617) 638-8490, gina.orlando@bmc.org
BMC, BUSM Geriatrician Honored with Ewald W. Busse Award
(Boston) – Thomas Perls, MD, MPH, a geriatrician at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has been honored with the Ewald W. Busse Research Award. One of the most prestigious in the field of gerontological research, the award is given every four years in conjunction with the World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Seoul, Korea.
The award recognizes the achievements of late junior or mid-career scientists, encouraging their continued contributions to aging research. Perls presented a lecture based on his research and received a certificate and a $6,000 award.
The award is named after Ewald W. Busse, MD, one of the world’s foremost authorities on human aging and a founder of the field of geriatric psychiatry. He was founding director of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. This award is supported by an endowment made by Gerontology International in honor of Busse.
“I’m honored to receive this award. My hope is that this tremendous recognition will help spread awareness about the importance of research in healthy aging,” said Perls.
Perls has dedicated much of his career to deciphering the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to exceptional longevity. He is the director of the New England Centenarian Study (NECS) at BMC, the largest study of centenarians and their families in the world, as well as a principal investigator of the National Institute on Aging’s Long Life Family Study.
The recipient of numerous honors and grants for his work on aging, Perls co-authored the award-winning book, Living to 100: Lessons in Living to Your Maximum Potential At Any Age. He has appeared on the Today Show, NBC’s Dateline, CNN, NPR and the BBC and his work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal. In addition, he served as an issue expert at the 1995 and 2005 White House Conferences on Aging.
Perls earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and completed his residency and internship in internal medicine at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He completed his geriatrics fellowship at Harvard Medical School and his master’s degree from the Harvard School of Public Health.
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About BMC
Boston Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit, 496-bed, academic medical center that is the primary teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine. Committed to providing high-quality health care to all, the hospital offers a full spectrum of pediatric and adult care services including primary and family medicine and advanced specialty care with an emphasis on community-based care. Boston Medical Center offers specialized care for complex health problems and is a leading research institution. Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine are partners in the Boston HealthNet – 14 community health centers focused on providing exceptional health care to residents of Boston. For more information, please visit www.bmc.org.
About Boston University School of Medicine
Originally established in 1848 as the New England Female Medical College, and incorporated into Boston University in 1873, Boston University School of Medicine today is a leading academic medical center with an enrollment of more than 700 medical students and more than 800 masters and PhD students. Its 1,246 full and part-time faculty members generated more than $335 million in funding in the 2009-2010 academic year for research in amyloidosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious disease, pulmonary disease and dermatology among others. The School is affiliated with Boston Medical Center, its principal teaching hospital, the Boston and Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Centers and 16 other regional hospitals as well as the Boston HealthNet.
Robert J. Vinci, MD, Appointed Chief/Chair of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 2, 2013
Contact: Gina DiGravio, 617-638-8480, gina.digravio@bmc.org
(Boston) – West Roxbury resident Robert J. Vinci, MD, has been appointed Chief of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and the Joel and Barbara Alpert Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at BU School of Medicine (BUSM).
For the past 20 years, Vinci has served as Vice Chair and Clinical Chief of the Department, providing leadership for the significant expansion of pediatric clinical services. “We are fortunate to have someone of his skill level to lead the department. His commitment to the community and to our patients is highlighted by his central role in a number of initiatives at BMC,” said BMC President & CEO Kate Walsh. He co-founded the Kids Fund at BMC, which provides assistance for children’s most basic needs to give them a foundation for a healthy and bright future. He led the campaign to establish a window fall prevention program for children in Boston, called Kids Can’t Fly, which has led to a dramatic decrease in the number of window fall-related injuries. And in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Vinci provided leadership to establish the Massachusetts Emergency Medical Services Program for Children, which created training protocols and guidelines for children in the statewide EMS system.
Vinci received his medical degree from the College of Medicine and Dentistry-Rutgers Medical School, now known as the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He completed his pediatric residency at the former Boston City Hospital (now BMC), serving as chief resident, in 1983. He joined the Department of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine in 1984 and two years later he established the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Boston City Hospital.
An innovative leader in medical residency education throughout his career, he founded the fellowship program in Pediatric Emergency Medicine BMC in 1988 and has directed Pediatric residency training at BMC since 1989. In 1996, Vinci, along with Frederick H. Lovejoy, MD, established the Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics, one of the nation’s leading Pediatric residency programs. “He has championed research activities, global health training and flexible training opportunities for pediatric residents,” said BUSM Dean Karen Antman, MD.
Vinci has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on the topics of pediatric emergency medicine and pediatric education. He also has received numerous awards for teaching and mentoring, among them BUSM’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award in 2010. He is a member of the National Board of Directors for the Association of Pediatric Program Directors, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academic Pediatric Association and the Academic Pediatric Society.
BMC Medical Center is one of the largest providers of pediatric services to low-income children in Boston and is known for its innovative approach to chronic illnesses, including asthma, sickle cell anemia, type 1 diabetes, HIV and failure to thrive.
New Orthopaedic Surgeon joins BMC and BUSM faculty
Contact: Gina Orlando, (617) 638-8490, gina.orlando@bmc.org
(Boston) – Robert J. Nicoletta, MD has joined Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) as an orthopaedic surgeon and assistant professor and co-director of sports medicine in the department of orthopaedic surgery. Nicoletta will see patients at both the Shapiro Ambulatory Care Center at BMC and the Ryan Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at Boston University starting August 1.
Nicoletta is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with specialty training in the field of sports medicine. His clinical interests include arthroscopic procedures of the knee and shoulder including anatomic and double bundle ACL reconstruction, cartilage injuries in the knee and shoulder rotator cuff injuries and instability.
Team physician for numerous local high schools, collegiate and professional athletic teams, Nicoletta most recently served as a team physician at Boston College, the Boston Cannons Men’s Professional Lacrosse team and the Boston Breakers Women’s Professional Soccer team. Before coming to Boston University Medical Campus, Nicoletta served as chief of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.
Recently named to the national List of 65 Outstanding Shoulder Surgeons and Specialists by Becker’s Orthopedic and Spine Review, Nicoletta completed a fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery at BMC after earning his medical degree from Syracuse University.
Boston University dentists’ invention picked by Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation: Center sees medical need and marketing potential
Contact: Jackie Rubin, 617-638-4892, jackier@bu.edu
(Boston) – The Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation has selected Drs. Robert Gyurko and Serge Dibart’s idea for a novel piezoelectric knife design and implant to accommodate narrow ridges as one of two research projects to support this year. This is the first time the Center, which collaborates withh BU, BMC, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital Boston, chose a research project fromm the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM).
The BU–Fraunhofer Alliance for Medical Devices, Instrumentation and Diagnostics expedites the time necessary for new technologies to get from research to patient use. The Center employs full-time engineers and applied scientists who turn design concepts in to medical instruments and devices. The finished designs attract ventuure funding, potential licensors, and government funding.
The GSDM team proposed a flat implant system, using flat piezoelectric knives (miniature bone saws vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies and sub-millimeter amplitudes) and flat titanium implants. “This piezoelectric knife can create various shapes of non-round bone cuts, as opposed to current implant drills that only make cylindrical holes,” said Dr. Gyurko. “The flat profile implant would address the need of patients with narrow residual jawbone without compromising implant stability and longevity.”
In March 2012, Drs. Gyurko and Dibart responded to a Boston University Medical Campus request for proposals “with high potential clinical impact that are ready to move out of the basic research laboratory.” Gyurko and Dibart were invited to present a full proposal to The Alliance Advisory Board showing the medical need for and potential impact of the design. The group is now in talks about prototype development.
“This is a wonderful accomplishment and one that Dr. Dibart and his team should feel very proud ofachieving,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “In addition, the project will bring well-deserved recognition toresearch at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.”
'Tis the Season (for Seasonal Affective Disorder that is)
It’s October and while that crisp autumn air is a refreshing change from the dog days of summer, fall also means the days are growing shorter and shorter. With decreased daylight, many people start to feel the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). For more info about SAD and how to combat it, check out the video below with Dr. Sanford Auerbach, Director of the Sleep Disorders Center and Associate Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.
Controlling Healthcare Costs: Your Money or Your Life
Today starting at 9AM , leading experts will debate heathcare ideas and others as part of the 2010 William J. Bicknell Lectureship in Public Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. This year’s topic is “Controlling Healthcare Costs: Your Money or Your Life?” featuring lecturer David Cutler. Panelists include Alice Coombs, M.D. President of the Massachusetts Medical Society; William C. Van Faasen, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; and Kate Walsh, M.P.H. President and CEO of the Boston Medical Center. The event will take place at 670 Albany Street on the Medical Campus.
Summertime heat is on
The heat is certainly on in much of the country this summer. For information about heat exhaustion and tips for staying healthy during hot, humid weather, BU Now spoke with Dr. Jonathan Olshaker, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Professor and Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.
