Roger Chou, M.D., provides outside expert commentary on a randomize trial that found medical masks fall “within predefined margins of noninferiority” against N95 respirator in protecting against COVID. Chou says that the trial offers the best evidence thus far on masking effectiveness among healthcare workers providing routine patient care, it “results are not definitive” and “indicate that medical masks may be similar to N95 respirators in Omicron-era settings with high COVID-19 seroprevalence.”

OHSU is among local health systems supporting a proposed ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products, including menthol, in Multnomah County.

A new statewide forecast led by Peter Graven, Ph.D., suggests Oregon hospitals will be under intense strain for the next several weeks managing a wave of critically ill infants and toddlers suffering from RSV. The forecast projects RSV hospitalizations, including infants and toddlers, could peak on Nov. 30.

In a story about various efforts to educate and train Oregonians to become healthcare workers, Paul Gorman, M.D., describes three OHSU programs: the Wy’east Post-Baccalaureate Pathway to encourage Native Americans to become physicians, the California Oregon Medical Partnership to Address Disparities in Rural Education and Health and the Oregon state-funded 30-30-30 plan to increase the number of graduates from several OHSU health professional programs by 30% and to increase student diversity by 30% by 2030.

Benjamin Hoffman, M.D., was among those who testified before Multnomah County commissioners Nov. 28 as they considered banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. Hoffman said there is “no coincidence” that products are sold flavors like banana split and blueberry cake, which he said are aimed at hooking kids on tobacco.

While discussing Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating roflumilast cream as a potential treatment for atopic dermatitis, or eczema, Eric Simpson, M.D., M.C.R., explains he studies the skin disease because he “was drawn to helping patients and families find safe and effective solutions, (and this therapy gets us a step closer to long-term control in a safe manner.”

An OHSU study found the eye-imaging technology optical coherence tomography can offer a quantitative biomarker for the peripheral stage of the blindness-causing condition retinopathy of prematurity.

“Research is 99% frustration, 1% pure elation,” Myatt said, adding that he’s referencing Thomas Edison. “This was definitely one of those moments of pure elation, that’s for sure.”

Benjamin Hoffman, M.D., was among those who testified before Multnomah County commissioners Nov. 28 as they considered banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. Hoffman said there is “no coincidence” that products are sold flavors like banana split and blueberry cake, which he said are aimed at hooking kids on tobacco.

Research led by Cindy McEvoy, M.D., found children have significantly improved airway function through age five after their parent, who was unable to quit smoking, took vitamin C. McEvoy says: “It’s important that we have a way to protect the baby’s developing lungs, even if their parent is struggling to quit smoking. These findings have identified an accessible, effective way to ensure optimal respiratory health outcomes both in-utero and throughout a child’s young life.”