This article presents an ethics case study concerning a 52-year-old male declared brain dead, whose family refuses to remove life support. Multiple perspectives—medical, nursing, chaplain, social work, legal, and ethical—are offered, exploring the conflict between the family's emotional denial of death and the medical team's obligation to uphold ac…

Immunotherapies for cancer can be lifesavers, but they can also provoke an overwhelming immune response that can be life threatening. Now a Johns Hopkins study may help pinpoint who is at risk for this type of reaction. Kimmel Cancer Center … It may now be possible to tell who is going to react badly to some forms of cancer therapy, Elizabeth Trace…

This case report details a rare instance of post-radiation lichen planus in a 64-year-old male, following radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma. The report examines the patient's medical history, clinical presentation, and treatment response to topical triamcinolone. The authors review existing literature on lichen planus, emphasizing its T…

This case report and accompanying discussion detail Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), a neurological condition presenting with seizures, visual disturbances, and altered mental status. Often misdiagnosed as more severe conditions like intracranial hemorrhage, PRES demonstrates reversible brain swelling on MRI. The case highlights…

The BJR method is a novel mathematical approach to methadone conversion that aims to improve upon existing methods by providing a smoother, less discontinuous, and less linear output for a reasonable and safe methadone dose. Here's how it improves upon existing conversion approaches: Addresses Limitations of the Plonk Method: The Plonk method uses …

The case study underscores the potential for misinterpreting spiritual distress as psychiatric illness, resulting in inappropriate treatment. Clinicians should learn several key lessons from the case of Mr. G, primarily emphasizing the importance of addressing patients' spiritual needs alongside their physical ailments. Open communication: Clinicia…

This ethics roundtable discussion centers on the case of JG, a 45-year-old man who attempted suicide and subsequently suffered severe brain damage. The article presents differing perspectives from medical, nursing, risk management, ethics, pastoral, social work, and legal professionals regarding the ethical implications of his wife's request to wit…

Ethical and legal considerations surrounding a comatose Jehovah's Witness patient's need for a life-saving blood transfusion are debated. The patient's parents, also Jehovah's Witnesses, refuse consent, while her brother advocates for the transfusion, claiming she wasn't a practicing member. The case highlights the conflict between parental surroga…

This ethics roundtable discussion analyzes a case study where a patient's daughter-in-law, the primary caregiver, seeks to withdraw life support, but state law restricts surrogacy to blood relatives or spouses. The discussion explores the ethical and legal implications of this restrictive law, highlighting the conflict between the patient's best in…

Who makes the decision if the patient lacks capacity? Multiple healthcare professionals offer varying perspectives on the ethical and legal dilemma surrounding the care of a 93-year-old comatose patient (JH). A conflict exists between JH's legally appointed Power of Attorney (POA), his hired caregiver, who wants aggressive treatment, and his son, w…

People with a type of advanced colorectal cancer who were treated with two different immunotherapy drugs did much better than a group treated with a standard type of chemotherapy, a new study reports. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at … Using two immunotherapies in colon cancer helps, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »…

As cancer cells grow, a study looking at their three dimensional architecture reveals that they become more like cells normally seen in fetal life. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson says that may be the key to enabling … Studying cancers in three dimensions has revealed a kind of regression, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read Mo…

An effort is underway to characterize cancerous tumors in three dimensions, with an eye toward a more complete understanding of their behavior. A series of papers have recently come out describing what’s been seen so far. William Nelson, director of … What are we learning from studying cancers in three dimensions? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More…

When cancer exists in the body it has a three dimensional structure, an architecture, that only now is being looked at in detail to understand better how cancers behave. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at Johns Hopkins explains. Nelson: … What can a 3D atlas of cancer teach us? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »…

Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem with long term health implications, especially cardiovascular disease. Now a study co-led by Johns Hopkins pediatrics expert Eliana Perrin has shown a personalized program of text messages to parents of very young infants staved … Text messages meeting people where they are allow children to avoid becoming o…

While childhood obesity is a widespread problem, the children who are most at risk to develop this disabling condition are already those with fewer educational opportunities and lower income. Now an intervention using text messages helps to close this gap … Childhood obesity rates keep rising, but a text based intervention can help. Read More »…

Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem that keeps accelerating, with the kids most at risk from already disadvantaged groups. Now a study co-led by Johns Hopkins pediatrics expert Eliana Perrin shows that a comprehensive texting intervention helps, with kids whose … Helping kids most at risk for obesity is possible, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read …

New parents are motivated people. That’s one observation from a new study co-led by Johns Hopkins pediatrics expert Eliana Perrin using a text-based intervention to prevent early childhood obesity. Perrin says parents both helped design the intervention and were participants. … Parents were pivotal in the success of a study to prevent childhood obe…

Can a texting intervention to parents of very young children prevent the development of obesity in their offspring? A study co-led by Johns Hopkins pediatrics expert Eliana Perrin shows the answer is yes. Perrin: We enrolled 900 kids. We did … Getting to kids and parents very early in life may be key to preventing obesity, Elizabeth Tracey reports …