Residents, Drs. Brian Westbrook and Carl Zainaldin

IM Residents Drs. Brian Westbrook and Carl Zainaldin recently used Point of Care Ultrasound to diagnose a dangerous tension pneumothorax—air trapped in the chest that compresses the lungs and heart. Within minutes of their assessment, their pulmonary fellow placed a chest tube to release the air and restore the patient’s breathing. The residents credit Dr. Rob Smola (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) who directs the POCUS curriculum for training them to diagnose and respond to the medical emergency. Great work, Drs. Westbrook and Zainaldin!

More Good News for February 4, 2022

For the third consecutive year, our internal medicine residents have met the ABIM’s rigorous standards to demonstrate clinical judgment, skills and attitudes essential for delivering excellent patient care. Kudos!

Pankaj Arora, M.D., (Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) will investigate whether nighttime administration of medication in individuals with obesity and hypertension will improve their nocturnal blood pressure profiles.

Olivia Van Gerwen, Ph.D., (Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases) finds nuanced messaging is essential to properly educate and engage transgender women in HIV prevention strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Tony Merriman, M.D., (Professor, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology) and colleagues found that gout is a risk factor for death from COVID-19, with a greater effect in women than in men.