Virtual Reality in Burn Pain Management

Sponsor: United States Army Institute of Surgical Research

WASHINGTON, DC—The number of US adults with diabetes is expected to rise, according to CDC.

BETHESDA, MD—The science into the biological mechanisms behind the psychological symptoms of PTSD is still in its infancy, but studies have linked PTSD to other serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, fatigue, and metabolic disorders. Research funded by NIH is suggesting that the cause of this link might have its roots in endocrine and immune function differences in patients with PTSD and most significantly in those with co-morbid major depressive disorder.

BETHESDA, MD—While the hunt for an HIV vaccine has run into a number of roadblocks the past few years, researchers are still meticulously searching for aspects of the virus and the transmission process that could prove to be viable targets for future interventions. NIH grantee Cynthia Derdeyn, PhD, is at the forefront of HIV vaccine research. She and her colleagues at Emory University have been exploring the dynamics of HIV sexual transmission—research that has led to a number of discoveries that could prove fruitful in the creation of a vaccine.

BETHESDA, MD— “In 1981, we were not at all prepared in the attitude at the time, and in the availability of responsible, qualified basic medical virologists. I was there. I know how people got involved, and it wasn’t by responsibility, but by chance.”
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WASHINGTON, DC—Providers play an important role in HIV prevention and care, and IHS is hoping to help providers carry out that role through online training that was developed last year.

BETHESDA, MD—At the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP), headquartered at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, researchers are in the business of asking tough questions and then going after the answers. “We are not a funding agency. We are not a granting agency, where people bring ideas and we fund them. We are a research organization that works in collaboration with others to conduct investigations,” Brian Agan, MD, director of IDCRP’s HIV/STI Working Group (WG), said of IDCRP.

WASHINGTON, DC—Many who smoke are also using smokeless tobacco. New data compiled by CDC that covers use of smokeless tobacco in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam found that the rates of smokers who also use smokeless tobacco, including chew tobacco and snuff, range from 0.9% in Puerto Rico to 13.7% in Wyoming.

WASHINGTON, DC—The hepatitis C (HCV) treatment program in VA marks its 10-year anniversary this year on a note of hopeful expectation. For years the only treatment for HCV has been combination pegylated interferon and ribavirin—a treatment with harsh side effects and a cure rate between 20% and 25% among VA patients. But several new drugs currently in development promise to almost double that success rate, which is good news for VA’s 150,000 HCV patients.

WASHINGTON, DC—A report released last month by a nonprofit organization calls for increased education efforts to encourage flu vaccination, especially among minority groups.