The Diabetic Foot Blog

Quantifying Blood Flow: Have a look

2012-02-17T07:27:00.001-07:00

Superb (http://www.physioimage.org/) site from CT surgeon Dr. Bruce Ferguson of ECU showing real-time imaging of ICG angiography during coronary revascularization. Imagine the possibilities. Our SALSA team has been actively working in this area, as well. Stay tuned.

Armstrong Delivers Virtual Keynote to Colombo, Sri Lanka

2012-02-17T07:21:00.001-07:00

David G. Armstrong, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) at the University of Arizona delivered a "virtual" keynote speech to a packed house of physicians and surgeons in Colombo Sri Lanka. "In 2009, for the first time in the history of human kind, more people died of non-infectious diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer than from infectious disease", noted Armstrong. "The fact is, we have to adjust to meet this-- medically, surgically, politically-- or we will face a demographic reckoning." After noting that more than 80% of non-communicable disease deaths are occurring in the developing world, he devoted the next portion of his address to much good news about the state of play in care of diabetes and in limb salvage. "We now see that teams reduce amputations. When we come together around this problem in South Asia, East Africa or North America, good things happen. Good things are indeed happening."

Caption:

Armstrong lecturing from University of Arizona Medical Center Studios to Sri Lanka

30 minutes to Sri Lanka

2012-02-16T20:38:00.001-07:00

Greetings from SALSA. Evening rounds gives way to a 915pm lecture to our colleagues in beautiful Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Repair Regeneration and Replacement, Revisited: Recap

2012-02-15T10:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks again to everyone for packing Centennial Hall on Valentine's day for a lecture on Science! It means a lot to me and to all of us. Cheers, -DGA

People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries

2012-02-15T09:45:00.001-07:00

One might suspect that memory engineering via our use of gadgets might ultimately enhance this (or cause it to atrophy if underutilized). Cheers, -DGA

People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries:

Medicare puzzle: Big rise in artificial feet costs - USATODAY.com

2012-02-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Interview with the National Rehabilitation Hospital and SALSA Medicare puzzle: Big rise in artificial feet costs - USATODAY.com:

Science teachers weigh in on why our bodies grow old

2012-02-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Science teachers weigh in on why our bodies grow old:

Monitors Track Vital Signs for Fitness and Safety

2012-02-14T14:47:00.002-07:00

Congrats to the folks at Zephyr for their great work in #Quantifiedself and #wirelesshealth. Monitors Track Vital Signs for Fitness and Safety:

Dr. Google Will See You Now: Search Can Identify Causes of Health Symptoms [VIDEO]

2012-02-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Dr. Google Will See You Now: Search Can Identify Causes of Health Symptoms [VIDEO]:

Maggot Saliva, Anyone?

2012-02-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Enjoy... Cheers, -DGA

Expression of a c GMP compatible Lucilia sericata insect serine proteinase (ISP) debridement enzyme - Pritchard - Biotechnology Progress - Wiley Online Library:

Sound Check: Prepping for CoS Living Beyond 100 "replacement parts" lecture tomorrow

2012-02-13T15:17:00.001-07:00

Enjoy these photos taken on the fly with photographer and conference organizer Carl Philabaum during today's sound check.

Burn Victim Sam Brown Treated With Virtual-Reality Video Game SnowWorld: Newsmakers: GQ

2012-02-13T09:38:00.002-07:00

Burn Victim Sam Brown Treated With Virtual-Reality Video Game SnowWorld: Newsmakers: GQ:

The Spray-On Antenna That Boosts Reception Using Zero Power

2012-02-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gents: imagine this beyond just mobile phones. Imagine it boosting reception for something, say implanted-- or on the skin. Fun with nanocapacitors! Cheers, -DGA

The Spray-On Antenna That Boosts Reception Using Zero Power:

Medicine's tech future as viewed from Silicon Valley

2012-02-12T07:57:00.001-07:00

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidshaywitz/2012/02/11/medicines-tech-future-the-view-from-the-valley/

Repair, Regeneration and Replacement, Revisited

2012-02-11T18:35:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned for tuesday night's talk. Arizona's 100 year anniversary, "Living Beyond 100" lecture series, in Centennial Hall, no less! See you there.

Tuesday, February 14

Repair, Regeneration and Replacement Revisited

David G. Armstrong, Professor of Surgery and Director, Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA), University of Arizona

More than 250 years ago, the philosopher Auguste Comte suggested that "Demography is Destiny". It is this change in demography that is leading toward that destiny: nothing less than a transformation of medicine and our collective relationship with it. From advances in composite tissue transplantation to stem cells to bionic human-machine interfaces, we are experiencing a present-day revolution in replacement parts. As these advances merge with similar progress in consumer and medical devices, the aging individual will be forced to ask the question: What of us will remain innately "us"?

What Your Doctor Needs to Hear So You Get the Best Possible Care

2012-02-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

What Your Doctor Needs to Hear So You Get the Best Possible Care:

Amputation cases among troops hit post-9/11 high in 2011 - News - Stripes

2012-02-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Amputation cases among troops hit post-9/11 high in 2011 - News - Stripes:

Charge Your Phone (and Your Car) from Afar

2012-02-09T12:25:00.002-07:00

More info on the coming of Wi-Tricity.

Charge Your Phone (and Your Car) from Afar - Technology Review:

Bikini Biofilm's Benefits? Bikini Shaped Bacteria, Glue, and Fun with Microbiology

2012-02-09T06:51:00.001-07:00

This Bikini-Shaped Bacteria Produces Some of the World's Strongest Glue:

Doctor Patient Communication: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"

2012-02-09T06:36:00.002-07:00

Enjoy this brief but thoughtful piece from the NYT's Pauline Chen. It reminds me of my father's frequent musings (and directed admonitions) that "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" Doctor and Patient: What Body Language Says About Doctors -

ON REMISSION: Curing Diabetes: How Type 2 Became an Accepted Lifestyle - John-Manuel Andriote - Health - The Atlantic

2012-02-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is a real must-read for folks interested in this field.

Curing Diabetes: How Type 2 Became an Accepted Lifestyle - John-Manuel Andriote - Health - The Atlantic:

The Miraculous NASA Breakthrough That Could Save Millions of Lives

2012-02-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

This really could have an outsized impact on drug and chemical delivery. Enjoy. Cheers, -DGA

The Miraculous NASA Breakthrough That Could Save Millions of Lives:

Is the Patent System Broken? Honeywell sues Nest: The race to build a better thermostat. - Slate Magazine

2012-02-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Great article in today's Slate regarding NEST and Honeywell-- but (if you ask us at SALSA) it's really about creativity, protecting ideas, and advancing science.

Honeywell sues Nest: The race to build a better thermostat. -

UA Science News: Repair Regeneration and Replacement Revisited

2012-02-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last night's standing-room-only lecture featuring Prof. Carol Barnes was a Barnes stormer. Next week: Living Beyond 100: Repair, Regeneration and Replacement Revisited. Click below.

UA Science News

The UA Science Living Beyond 100 lecture series continues on Tuesday, Feb. 14 with Dr. David Armstrong. From advances in composite tissue transplantation to stem cells to bionic human-machine interfaces, we are experiencing a present-day revolution in replacement parts. As these advances merge with similar progress in consumer and medical devices, the aging individual will be forced to ask the question: What of us will remain innately "us"?

Phys Ed: Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries? - NYTimes.com

2012-02-08T07:14:00.001-07:00

From hunter gatherers to Manhattan marathoners. These data yield interesting information. Enjoy. Phys Ed: Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries? - NYTimes.com:

New Kinect Hack Could Help Relieve Phantom Limb Pain

2012-02-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

New Kinect Hack Could Help Relieve Phantom Limb Pain:

A Vertical and Horizontal Healing Strategy Illustrated

2012-02-07T16:15:00.001-07:00

We at SALSA prefer a “vertical” and “horizontal” wound healingstrategy. The “vertical” strategy involves filling in defects and coveringvital structures with NPWT. The “horizontal” philosophy involves skin grafting,assisting secondary healing through bioengineered tissue or other substances,and aggressive offloading. An example of this is here.

Industrial Design Trumps Traditional Anatomy: Nike Designed a Shoe For Prosthetic Running Blades

2012-02-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

When does a shoe not look like a shoe? When the foot isn't a foot. I'd argue that we're getting closer to industrial design trumping our traditional concept of consumer products (and even anatomy).
Nike Designed a Shoe For Prosthetic Running Blades:

Diabetic Foot Proceedings Online, Free, and Terrific.

2012-02-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot: The entire Proceedings of the 6th Symposium are available online. Chock-full-o academic and practical goodness. Please enjoy:

Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews - Volume 28, Issue Supplement S1 - February 2012 - Wiley Online Library:

Woman Gets Jawbone Made by 3D Printer

2012-02-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

Woman Gets Jawbone Made by 3D Printer:

Local doc leads bid to help diabetics

2012-02-06T06:50:00.001-07:00

This story on SALSA from the AZ Daily Star's Stephanie Innes.

Local doc leads bid to help diabetics:

Citing emotional trauma and shorter life span among amputees, a Tucson clinic is leading an effort to prevent amputation in diabetic adults.

The approach involves high-risk surgery to clean infected limbs, heal wounds, ensure blood flow in the leg, often coupled with managing other complications of diabetic wounds like neuropathy and gangrene.

"At least half of the (diabetic) people who are amputated are dead in three to five years," said Dr. David G. Armstrong, a podiatric surgeon who co-directs the Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) at the University of Arizona Medical Center - University Campus. "Up to 80 percent in some studies."

A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published Jan. 24 in the journal Diabetes Care, said the rate of leg and foot amputations among U.S. adults age 40 and older with diagnosed diabetes declined by 65 percent between 1996 and 2008.

The study's authors noted that improvements in blood-sugar control, foot care and diabetes management, along with declines in cardiovascular disease, likely have contributed to the decline.

Though the data are "life affirming and very exciting," Armstrong said, he is cautious about celebrating.

Diabetes remains the leading cause of lower-limb amputations in the U.S. Obesity rates are climbing in the U.S. and in other countries, too. And 85 percent of Type 2 diabetics are obese or overweight.

"Should we congratulate ourselves that amputations went down? Or gird ourselves for a demographic catastrophe?" Armstrong said. "Demography is destiny, and more people are getting diabetes, and more people are living longer with complications of diabetes."

If there's anyone qualified to save lower limbs, it's Armstrong. He has earned numerous accolades for his work with diabetic patients, and his guidelines for wound care have been recognized by worldwide medical organizations.

In 2010, he was the youngest-ever recipient of the equivalent to a lifetime achievement award from the American Diabetes Association for his work in the field of the diabetic foot. He's also part of an international working group on diabetic foot care and co-founded the Diabetic Foot Global Conference, which doctors have nicknamed "DFCon." It's the largest diabetic-foot gathering in the world.

Armstrong's skills are complemented by local vascular surgeon Dr. Joseph Mills, the clinic's co-director. They share a mantra: Save a leg, prolong a life. The clinic gets about 13,000 patient visits per year.

For patient Rosemarie Sales, who has Type 2 diabetes, Armstrong and Mills' clinic has been a bright spot during a terrible health crisis.

Seven months ago, her right foot was raw with almost no skin on the sole. It was also horribly infected, and she was terrified of hearing what she knew doctors would say: It needs to come off. Sales had already lost a toe on each foot to amputations after severe infections.

"It looked like someone had poured acid on my foot. I just cried. I didn't know what to do," said Sales, a 53-year-old IT specialist who lives in Catalina. "I didn't want to go to the hospital. I even avoided going."

And, indeed, the first doctor she saw in the emergency room told Sales: "You are probably going to lose your foot."

But Sales' recent infection did not result in the setback she so dreaded. Her foot was saved by the clinic's doctors.

Not everyone's limb can be saved, of course. Armstrong has been to "limb funerals" when people lose legs and feet to amputations, and he has watched the emotional toll that losing limb brings. His goal is to save the limb whenever possible.

"I thought I was going to die; I wasn't even thinking about my foot," said James Conley Jr., the 68-year-old publisher of Tucson Lifestyle magazines, a diabetic who is still recovering from a staph infection that began with a blister on his right foot. The infection traveled quickly up his leg and ate into his bone.

The easiest surgery would have been amputation, but he wound up in surgery with Armstrong and vascular surgeon Dr. Kaoru Ruth Goshima, who decided to save the foot. As Armstrong puts it: Goshima evaluated the plumbing, and he did the landscaping.

"I used to be an orderly, and I know that everything worked out really well for me," said Conley, who is still wearing an orthopedic shoe to take pressure off his foot. "I thank Dr. Armstrong."

Armstrong noted that the CDC study should not be a reason for anyone to relax.

For one thing, the diagnostic criteria for diabetes changed and expanded in the late 1990s, to include people with lower blood sugar. Since people with lower blood sugar are also at lower risk for complications, they are also less likely to need an amputation and are responsible for some of the statistical improvements, Armstrong said.

"The denominator changed. There are more people with slightly lower blood sugar included in the definition," he said. "A population that was once called pre-diabetic is now included in the (diabetes) population."

Still, rates of diabetes in Arizona quadrupled in the past 15 years - a startling number even when the broader definition of the disease is considered. And with the new phenomenon of children being increasingly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Armstrong has huge concerns for the future.

He also worries about indigent patients in Arizona, whose Medicaid program recently eliminated podiatrist visits from coverage, which has been a hardship for many diabetics.

On StarNet: Stephanie Innes brings you the latest health info in her blog, Tucson Health and Wellness, at azstarnet.com/healthblog

Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at sinnes@azstarnet.com or 573-4134.

CDC Global Health - Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)

2012-02-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is really the mother lode for information about NCDs. If you live on this planet and interact with other folks, it's not a bad idea to have a tour of this site. CDC Global Health - Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs):

Alec Baldwin Among 79 Million Pre-Diabetic Americans - ABC News

2012-02-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

A terrific article featuring our SALSAmigo Anne Peters

Alec Baldwin Among 79 Million Pre-Diabetic Americans - ABC News:

Eliminating Range Anxiety: Wireless Battery Charging Hits the Real Highway?!

2012-02-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gents: meet WiTricity.

Stanford pioneering a wireless electric highway | The Car Tech blog - CNET Reviews:

'Smart Clothing' Could Become New Wearable Gadgets | E-Textile Future Clothes | LiveScience

2012-02-02T05:52:00.001-07:00

http://www.livescience.com/18238-smart-clothing-wearable-gadgets.html

Thermometry for the diabetic foot: Review of the works over the last decade

2012-01-31T22:26:00.003-07:00

Here's the latest review on thermometry for the diabetic foot from the SALSA team entitled "Coming events cast their shadows before: detecting inflammation in the acute diabetic foot and the foot in remission".

This is the summary of work presented at the 6th International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot, May 10–14, 2011, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands.

Next "Living Beyond 100" UA College of Science Series Lecture Tonight

2012-01-31T15:07:00.001-07:00

We're sure to see another sellout in Centennial hall tonight for our SALSA friend and colleague Prof. Janko Nickolich-Zugich's lecture on "The Biology of Aging".

The podcast of Shane Burgess's lecture (from last week) is up on iTunes. See the link under Shane's lecture description on the lecture website: http://cos.arizona.edu/beyond/

Getting "SUPERMECHANICAL" Why Is My Washing Machine Texting Me? Twine Gives A Voice To Your Inanimate Objects | BostInno

2012-01-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

An absolutely great article.

Imagine, if you will, "supermechanical" mechanisms in the future. Example: your wallet gets physically tougher to open as you get closer to your budget. It is the merger of wireless mesh networks in consumer and home electronics along with mechanical tweaks to pre-existing objects.

Think about this in healthcare.

Imagine a shoe that would literally not allow you to lace it up if it noticed dangerously high peak pressure levels (or dangerous inflammation via thermometric sensors) plantarly in your diabetic foot? !

Why Is My Washing Machine Texting Me? Twine Gives A Voice To Your Inanimate Objects | BostInno:

Cord Blood Stem Cells Improve Metabolic Control?!

2012-01-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

Endocrine Today Mobile | Endocrinology and diabetes news and perspectives delivered to your PDA:

@erictopol: Why Doctors Need to Embrace Their Digital Future Now | Magazine

2012-01-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

Terrific article in Wired by Thomas Goetz on @EricTopol and our collective future. Enjoy:

Why Doctors Need to Embrace Their Digital Future Now | Magazine:

Manuka honey's superbug and Biofilm-Growth-fighting properties hailed after Welsh study

2012-01-31T12:23:00.001-07:00

Manuka honey's superbug-fighting properties hailed after Welsh study - Wales News - News - WalesOnline:

Clinically addressing Biofilms

2012-01-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

Terrific abstract from work published this week by our SALSAmigos Chris Attinger and Randy Wolcott.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. - Advances in Wound Care - 0(0)::

Monofilament testing withstands critiques | Lower Extremity Review Magazine

2012-01-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

A really thoughtful article by Cary Groner of LER.

http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/article/monofilament-testing-withstands-critiques

The Coming Tech-led Boom - WSJ.com

2012-01-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

Mark Mills and Julio Ottino: The Coming Tech-led Boom - WSJ.com:

3D Printing: Anything, Anytime, Anywhere. Plastic? Optional. Read On.

2012-01-30T16:57:00.003-07:00

MakerBot's 3-D Printers Let Consumers Dream Up Prototypes Of Pretty Much Anything. But Do We Need More Plastic? | Fast Company:

Support for campaign to help heal wounds quicker - Michelle O'Byrne, MP - Tasmanian Government Media Releases

2012-01-30T08:22:00.001-07:00

This arrived this morning from the Government of Tasmania.

Support for campaign to help heal wounds quicker - Michelle O'Byrne, MP - Tasmanian Government Media Releases:

UA Tech Park Has Significant Impact on Region | UANews.org

2012-01-30T05:41:00.001-07:00

http://uanews.org/node/44441

The Superbug Arms Race Continues: NDM-1: The Bacterial Gene That's Resistant to 15 Different Antibiotics

2012-01-29T19:18:00.002-07:00

NDM-1: The Bacterial Gene That's Resistant to 15 Different Antibiotics:

The Unmet Need of Education in Genomic Medicine

2012-01-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Unmet Need of Education in Genomic Medicine:

From Hookworms to Healing: New Promise from Parasites?

2012-01-29T08:34:00.001-07:00

Interesting work going on at UMDNJ

NJ Spotlight | At UMDNJ, Researchers Seek Healing Powers from Parasites:

The Wounded Un-wounded: Chronic Inflammation is the Root of All Evil in Chronic Disease

2012-01-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Study shows how stress triggers immune system - USATODAY.com:

National Venous Leg Ulcer Working Group Convenes in Texas

2012-01-28T14:08:00.001-07:00

Renowned experts in the field of wound healing and venous disease convened in Dallas today for a summit on reducing barriers to care and time to healing of venous ulcers. Venous Ulcers affect about two million people per year in the United States alone, with many wounds remaining open for months or even years. "The fact is that most venous leg ulcers, though an interdisciplinary approach can be treated successfully", noted Working Group Member David G. Armstrong, Professor of Surgery and Director of the University of Arizona's Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA) "The key is rapid diagnosis and care." Additionally, medical, surgical and biological alternatives can prove quite helpful. "Newer biologics, coupled with surgical intervention as needed can often speed healing or reduce the risk for recurrence", noted William Marston, Professor and Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the University of North Carolina. "What we need is to connect the dots between patients in need and the care they deserve."

Captions:

National working group members participate in methodology design meeting.

William M. Marston

David G. Armstrong

En Route to National Venous Ulcer Working Group Meeting

2012-01-27T14:52:00.001-07:00

Greetings from the air en route to the National VLU Working Group in Dallas. I very much look forward to catching up with some old friends and rolling up our collective sleeves.

Near instant infection detection: The Future is Now

2012-01-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Our Hamilton, Ontario SALSAmigo Perry Meyer sent us this and I must say, I have to clean the coffee off my keyboard I'm so excited. Great stuff. Great potential.

New device will detect infections, cancer in minutes - Technology & Science - CBC News:

New breakthrough allows glucose to be measured in saliva, avoiding finger sticksh

2012-01-27T06:41:00.001-07:00

Great work from Biomedical Engineering at Brown University.

New breakthrough allows glucose to be measured in saliva, avoiding finger sticksh:

Foot Recognition Is the New Face Recognition

2012-01-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here's to a little foot respect and recognition!

Enjoy this article from Gizmodo

Foot Recognition Is the New Face Recognition:

Aubrey de Grey, SENS, anti-aging drugs, and clinical trials. - Slate Magazine

2012-01-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Aubrey de Grey, SENS, anti-aging drugs, and clinical trials. - Slate Magazine:

The Dangers of High Heels - NYTimes.com

2012-01-25T12:01:00.002-07:00

Our ever observant daughter Alexandria, is credited with this find from Gretchen Reynolds at the NYT. Enjoy.

Phys Ed: The Dangers of High Heels - NYTimes.com:

A Packed House: College of Science Lecture Series

2012-01-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

Standing room only in the cavernous centennial hall on the UA campus for the launch of the college of science lecture series "living beyond 100". We will see you here, on TV, or online!

CDC: Diabetes amputations falling dramatically

2012-01-24T15:27:00.001-07:00

Bottom line: Amputations have been falling since 1996 in the USA. This is the same time that changes in the definition of diabetes likely brought many more new-onset patients into the population. In other words, our denominator increased. We'd like to think we're making a difference-- and it appears as though we are, but what we really have to ask is:

Is this a day at the beach, or the calm before the next big wave? Cheers, -DGA

The Associated Press: CDC: Diabetes amputations falling dramatically:

Experts stress selectivity in advanced ulcer care

2012-01-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

Experts stress selectivity in advanced ulcer care

Diabetes experts focus on foot ulcer recurrence

2012-01-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Diabetes experts focus on foot ulcer recurrence

What Dr. Smartphone can do for you

2012-01-23T13:18:00.003-07:00

As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All | Fast Company: "Smartphone"

'via Blog this'

amednews: Federal rule would ease access for face, hand transplants :: Jan. 23, 2012 ... American Medical News

2012-01-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

This interview features our very own Warren Breidenbach and our Cleveland Clinic Colleague Maria Siemionow.

amednews: Federal rule would ease access for face, hand transplants :: Jan. 23, 2012 ... American Medical News:

Tactile Imaging Sensor Could Facilitate Early Diagnosis of Tumors

2012-01-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

This from the folks at MedGadget.

Imagine palpating an aneurysm with this. Imagine exploring the depths of a wound and building a CAD-CAM model of it?!

Tactile Imaging Sensor Could Facilitate Early Diagnosis of Tumors:

UofA Update: How Autonomous Robots Built to Survey Planets Will Bring Sight to the Blind

2012-01-23T05:58:00.001-07:00

Really "groundbreaking" work from University of Arizona Engineering's own Prof. Wolfgang Fink. I ask you to read this and think of the possibilities.

Professor's Research Helps Restore Sight to the Blind | UANews.org:

Medical technology business Eykona takes 3D to America - Telegraph

2012-01-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Oxford's Eykona, who are, after 6 years, taking their intriguing scanning technology over to the USA.

Medical technology business Eykona takes 3D to America - Telegraph:

The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius - NYTimes.com

2012-01-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is a must-read for people interested in this field and its future. It features not only Oscar P, but also Hugh Herr of MIT. The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius - NYTimes.com:

Stretchable Solar Cells to Power Super Skin

2012-01-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Wow...Forget the SPF 36. We at SALSA are gonna slap on some superskin right next to our stretchy solar skin to power our iPhone10. Thanks to the always superb Beth Andrews for spotting this.

New stretchable solar cells will power artificial electronic 'super skin':

Extraterrestrial Microbes: No Spacecraft Assembly Required?

2012-01-22T10:20:00.002-07:00

NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Genomes --Was There an Earth-to-Mars Microbe Shuttle? | Digg Science:

Robots for the Elderly = Fukushima Repair operation? Necessity is the mother of invention

2012-01-22T07:52:00.001-07:00

Please see this excerpt from the NYT.

"Yoshiyuki Sankai, an engineering professor at University of Tsukuba near Tokyo, was similarly inspired to update one of his inventions after the tsunami. In his case, he transformed his Hybrid Assistive Limb, or HAL — a lower-body, robotic exoskeleton — so it could assist people working at radiation sites.

The original HAL, introduced in 2008, helps patients who can't walk by monitoring the signals sent from their brains to their muscles. Sensors in HAL pick up these signals and then, essentially, walk for the person. The robot suit has been commercialized and is leased by hospitals and wellness centers in Japan.

Dr. Sankai was already working on other uses for HAL when he received a call last summer from a company involved in the cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the site of the nuclear disaster resulting from the tsunami. Could HAL assist workers who had to wear incredibly heavy, anti-radiation tungsten vests at the site?

Less than three months later, Dr. Sankai had his answer: yes. "The principle behind the two suits is the same," he said of the versions of HAL, describing the philosophical mission as "supporting and expanding the human ability."

But in the new model, an upper-body frame supports the tungsten plates, which can weigh up to 132 pounds. Without that support, it would be hard for individuals to work in the suit for long stretches of time. "So now the worker doesn't feel any weight," he said.

The new HAL has received a patent but is still in the prototype stage and is being tested. Dr. Sankai says it will take an additional six or seven months of development before it's ready for commercial use."

The Greatest Running Shoe Never Sold - Businessweek

2012-01-21T17:13:00.001-07:00

The Greatest Running Shoe Never Sold - Businessweek:

Work out, lick wound, rinse, repeat: Exercise increases antimicrobial peptides in saliva

2012-01-21T08:37:00.001-07:00

While we at SALSA are in no way advocating licking wounds, we thought this work from University of Greenwich interesting during our daily perusal of the literature.

Podimetrics: Idea draws on engineering and business to help diabetics - MIT News Office

2012-01-20T15:02:00.001-07:00

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/podimetrics-lgo-0120.html

Amputated Gecko Tails: Almost Immortal?

2012-01-20T06:24:00.001-07:00

This engaging article is based on the work of the basic science team that is pioneering work with newts (no, not that Newt-- far more primary than that). Enjoy, -DGA

Nike's Fuelband: The next "Jawbone"?! (From Gizmodo)

2012-01-19T13:09:00.001-07:00

FITNESS

Nike+ was a super sweet tool for runners to keep track of their workouts. But what about the rest of your life? What if Nike+ could keep track of that? That's what the brand new Nike+ Fuelband, an evolution of Nike+ in a simple Livestrong-styled wristband, tries to do.Nike's Fuelband Is an Awesome Fitness Wristband for Your Entire Life

The idea of wearing something to track your fitness activity in everyday life isn't exactly new. Fitbit's done it with some success, Jawbone spectacularly failed at it and there are so many fitness watches you can wear one on every one of your appendages. But Nike+ Fuelband is a slightly different beast, its goal is to provide one simple measurement for every kind of activity. How does it work?

The Fuelband doesn't count steps. It doesn't tick off miles. What's unique about Nike+ Fuelband is that it uses "oxygen kinetics" to figure out the amount of oxygen you're using and then translates that input/output into a "universal currency" named Nikefuel. Everyone, whether you're a basketball player or a football player or a life player or a PC game player, is measured with Nikefuel. The more active things you do in a day means the more Nikefuel you earn in a day. Nike says that they've correlated oxygen intake with specific fitness activities and then created a way to translate it to Nikefuel. Basically, it's a smart and Nike-branded algorithm that brings everyone onto the same unit of measurement.

The Fuelband looks like a bulked up Livestrong band that has a three-axis accelerometer to track movement, LED lights to display your progress against your goal (red is bad, green is good), show the time and has a snazzy hidden USB port. It's all controlled by one button so the Fuelband is dead simple to use. It connects to your iPhone wirelessly via Bluetooth and to the Nike+ webapp when you plug in the band. When I wore it, it was actually pretty comfortable—surprisingly cool and light on the wrist and simple to use (one button wizardry). Nike says the battery can last 4 days on a single charge and that it'll talk nice to Facebook, Foursquare and Path. The Fuelband will cost $150 and start shipping on February 22nd.

It's a clever idea! As balancing the differences of various activities (sprint, jog, etc) can provide the token to improve overall fitness since you're gunning for the same goal, in this case, a Nikefuel benchmark. Nike believes that life is a sport, every human is an athlete and everything you do should be measured. I'm definitely interested in seeing how much Nikefuel I gain for surfing the internet. [Nike]

Choosing a shoe: Stiffness matters

2012-01-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Shoe stiffness and pressure patterns | Lower Extremity Review Magazine:

New Study: Tuberculosis vs. Toes: Isoniazid for wounds?

2012-01-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

We at SALSA had to look twice when this came across our desk. Most of us know isoniazid as a first-line agent to treat tuberculosis. This group are embedding it into a dressing.
We're interested to learn more about a proposed mechanism of action.

Bridge BioResearch Announces the Approval of the Phase 2a Trial Protocol of Isoniazid - a Novel Treatment of Chronic Ulcers - World News Report:

Mr. Jobs: does this look good on me? Apple patents clothes that track how you wear them, tell you when it's time to update your wardrobe

2012-01-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

Apple patents clothes that track how you wear them, tell you when it's time to update your wardrobe -- Engadget:

Obesity Rates Stall, But No Decline - NYTimes.com

2012-01-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Obesity Rates Stall, But No Decline - NYTimes.com:

Toe and Flow: Van Nuys center takes new approach to prevent amputations - LA Daily News

2012-01-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Drs. Andros and Rogers, our toe and flowmigos. Van Nuys center takes new approach to prevent amputations - LA Daily News:

See the Lab on a chip: You've heard of microfluidics, now meet photoelectrowetting!

2012-01-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Really cool stuff going on in Lille, France outlined by Technology Review's Physics "arxiv" blog this morning.

First Demonstration of Actuation-At-A-Distance Effect For Labs-On-A-Chip

Microelectromechanical devices could soon be remotely controlled using light thanks to a proof-of-concept experiment demonstrating 'photoelectrowetting'

KFC 01/18/2012

Moving water is fairly straightforward on the human scale: a pump or a bucket will usually do the trick. But in the last couple of decades, various teams have begun to study ways of moving liquids around on the much smaller scale of micrometres.

Their goal is to create devices, such as a lab-on-a-chip, that can carry out self-contained chemical and biological tests on tiny samples. To that end, researchers have developed various new ways to move liquid around using exotic pumps relying on things like electric fields. So-called microfluidic devices are having a big impact in areas from pathogen identification to environmental monitoring

Last year, Steve Arscott at the The University of Lille in France added another tool to this armoury. He showed that light could modify the wetting angle of a conducting droplet sitting on an insulated conductor.

This system is essentially a capacitor: one conductor separated from another by an insulating layer. Physicists have known for some time that changing the voltage in such a capacitor sets up a force that alters the wetting angle of the droplet. This effect, known as electrowetting, is the basis for various kinds of electric pumps.

Photoelectrowetting works in a similar way, says Arscott. With a voltage across the capacitor, the incident light generates charge pairs within the droplet that influence the electric field in the capacitor and this changes the wetting angle.

That was an interesting advance because it raised the prospect of pumping small volumes of water using light and very little power (since there is almost no flow of current).

Today, he and his pal Matthieu Gaude put the photoelectrowetting effect into action. These guys have made a cantilever sitting above an insulated conductor and placed a droplet of water between them so that it fills the gap by capillary action (see above).

Zapping this system with light changes the wetting angle the droplet makes with the cantilever and the electrode below. This makes the droplet thinner, pulling the cantilever down.

The ability to actuate at a distance using light alone could have many applications because it eliminates the need for the complex circuitry and pumps now used to transport droplets. It could also allow optical addressing of autonomous, wireless sensors.

Incidentally. that's not unlike the light actuation of metamaterials we looked at yesterday. Perhaps there's a new era of light actuation ahead.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1201.2873: “Actuation At A Distance” Of Microelectromechanical Systems

Amputation rate high among Irish diabetics - Health News, Health - Independent.ie

2012-01-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

18-fold difference in amputation risk between people with and without diabetes. Amputation rate high among Irish diabetics - Health News, Health - Independent.ie:

Mobile Technology Is Transforming The Health Industry, But To What Extent? | TechCrunch

2012-01-16T16:35:00.001-07:00

Mobile Technology Is Transforming The Health Industry, But To What Extent? | TechCrunch:

Turn your kitchen window into a monitor!?

2012-01-16T11:25:00.001-07:00

This is definitely what we should have been seeing at the CES this past week. How'd we miss it?!

Samsung Turns Any Window into an Amazing Computer

Windows! Yes, not the phone, or the operating system, but the thing you fling open when it's too hot, wave to your friends from, and perhaps throw trash out of. Samsung's turning your household glass into a touchscreen wonder.

Mea culpa—this is probably the one thing we genuinely missed out on at CES. A sole regret. Chalk it up to the fog of war—or maybe because from afar, Samsung's "Smart Window" looks just like... a window. At any rate, this thing is very cool, and unlike most "smart" (ugh) products we saw, actually looks like it could fit into a sci-fi home of the near future.

Essentially, the Smart Window is Haier's transparent TV, only not utterly stupid and pointless. In actuality, it's a TFT LCD panel with the ability to go fully transparent, like any other pane. But floating across the glass are a diversity of apps and images—you can check the weather, read email, Twitter, and recipes. Or just watch TV. It's all touch-controlled, and looks very smooth. And worry not, food and porn multitaskers—Mobile Nations says the panel will only be visible from the inside.

I balk a little at Samsung's idea that I'm ever going to lean across my kitchen counter for serious computing stuff, but for casual info peeks, it'd be a nice little luxury. And that virtual blinds feature! Pure eye lollipops and gumdrops. Just make sure your neighborhood baseball-slugging kids are at a safe distance when this thing arrives someday, or never. [Samsung]

From PT Online: Breaking Out Of Our ‘Echo Chamber’ At Conferences. THREE things to look for

2012-01-16T08:27:00.001-07:00

David G. Armstrong DPM PhD MD

As a new year begins, so does a new slate of podiatric scientific conferences. Podiatric physicians have no shortage of educational experiences from which to choose.

I regularly attend the annual American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) conference, the Diabetic Limb Salvage (DLS) meeting, the Diabetic Foot Global Conference (DFCon), the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Spring/Wound Healing Society (SAWC Spring/WHS) meeting and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) meeting. I regularly attend other meetings outside North America that have other foci in plastic surgery, infectious diseases, diabetes, rural As a new year begins, so does a new slate of podiatric scientific conferences. Podiatric physicians have no shortage of educational experiences from which to choose.

I prefer meetings that are, in the truest sense of the word, interdisciplinary. We have a tendency in life in general, and in medicine specifically, to enjoy hearing what we want to hear and what is familiar. In other words, it's often easier to be reassured with a soothing message from an "echo chamber" than it is to be challenged. I think putting some effort into leaving that echo chamber is ultimately worth it. It expands your "silo." It's frankly exhilarating. It makes me want to bound back into clinic and the wards on Monday and apply what I've learned.

The most important factors in putting on an educationally valuable conference are speakers, content and moderation.

The speakers should be superb. When that happens, one knows they are going to do their best to bring their "A" game because their colleagues are doing so. A good speaker takes an odd lecture request as a challenge to expand his or her horizons and the audience of colleagues is also the beneficiary.

The emphasis on content speaks for itself. However, the content should be controlled toward a theme. Just as Apple arguably does a good job in controlling its "ecosystem" on the iPhone and iPad, so too should the organizers control the topics and "soul" of a meeting.

Moderation is where most meetings could do better. Most believe moderating is keeping time and introducing people from a list. It is so much more than that. The mindful moderator must know the content and be an enthusiast. He or she must also challenge the speaker — pleasantly — with the goal of getting to those key kernels of truth that we love to mine at a meeting.

Dr. Armstrong is the Conference Co-Chairman of the Diabetic Foot Global Conference (DFCon). For more information, visit www.toeandflow.com.

Swallowing Parasitic Worms May Heal Your Ails | Intestinal Worms & Hookworms | Wound Healing & Immune System | Worm Therapy | LiveScience

2012-01-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

Swallowing Parasitic Worms May Heal Your Ails | Intestinal Worms & Hookworms | Wound Healing & Immune System | Worm Therapy | LiveScience:

'via Blog this'

A new hormone revs up the body's fat-burning engine

2012-01-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

A new hormone revs up the body's fat-burning engine

High-tech beds to help the elderly and infirm - San Jose Mercury News

2012-01-13T20:15:00.001-07:00

Hospital grade equipment at a consumer price. Now we're getting somewhere. Cheers, -DGA

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_19675475?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

Diabetes patients head to Toronto or lose a limb

2012-01-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

This "call to action" by Joanna Frketich in today's Hamilton Spectator features our friend and colleague Perry Meyer. Enjoy...

Diabetes patients in danger of losing limbs are being sent to Toronto for treatment because Hamilton's waits are too long.

The Mayer Institute, which specializes in diabetes wound care, sends patients needing urgent treatment, within 30 days, to vascular surgeons at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre instead of waiting for diagnostics and surgery at Hamilton Health Sciences or St. Joseph's Healthcare.

"In my world, I wait an inordinate amount of time," said the institute's medical director, Dr. Perry Mayer. "It's a ridiculous situation in Hamilton. We have brilliant, gifted surgeons here, they're second to none. But their hands are tied."

Hamilton's lead vascular surgeon says the problem is that 90 per cent of patients referred to them are urgent, so it can be difficult to determine who gets the care first.

"A lot of us feel overwhelmed with the sheer volume of disease," said Dr. David Szalay, division head of vascular surgery at HHS, St. Joseph's and McMaster University. "The challenge can be to try to work through your list and make sure nobody dies of a ruptured aneurysm waiting for you, nobody has a stroke waiting and you can intervene on the leg quick enough to prevent limb loss."

Szalay says the delays occur when patients are referred and waiting for their first appointment and again when surgeons order diagnostic tests. In contrast, Toronto has more vascular surgeons to share the load, so patients get their first appointment faster. The doctors at Sunnybrook also have access to their own angioplasty suite so they do the diagnostics themselves and immediately do the treatment.

"Their model is ideal but pretty unique," Szalay said of Sunnybrook.

Angelo Maletta says he would have lost his foot if he'd waited any longer for treatment. The 61-year-old Welland maintenance worker was told in August his right foot would have to be amputated because of a diabetic wound.

His cousin knew someone whose leg was saved by Mayer and recommended the clinic on Railway Street. Many of Mayer's patients tell the same story of finding the institute by chance from friends or family after being told they'd need an amputation.

"My cousin, who I hadn't seen in months, happened to be at my house the day they told me they wanted to amputate," said Maletta, who shudders to think what would have happened otherwise. "It would have been terrible for me."

Maletta saw Mayer at the end of August. Tests showed there was not enough blood flow in his foot, so he was referred to Sunnybrook in October and had surgery on Nov. 9.

"Everything was just boom, boom, boom," said Maletta, commenting on the speed of treatment.

His foot is now healing well.

Getting treatment fast is significant considering Wound Care Canada reports there is a "small window of opportunity" for therapies. More than 50 per cent of lower extremity amputations are due to non-healing foot ulcers and the long-term prognosis isn't good for amputees. The death rate is 39 per cent to 68 per cent over a five-year period.

There is hope that waits will ease a bit in Hamilton as another vascular surgeon is being recruited — the equivalent of three fewer surgeons are practising in this area compared to seven years ago. A second vascular ultrasound opened last week to double diagnostic capacity, and other health professionals such as physician assistants are being added to the vascular team.

But until then, Mayer says he will continue to send patients to Toronto: "These people can't wait. The patients who don't get to me lose their limbs. They lose their limbs at an astonishing rate."

jfrketich@thespec.com

905-526-3349 | @Jfrketich

Genome: $1000 sequences you in 24 hours.

2012-01-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

http://yfrog.com/page/addthis?server=859&filename=rzblxf.jpg&yfrog_url=http://yfrog.com/nvrzblxfj&is_photo=true&screen_name=daniel_kraft

$1000 genome sequenced in 24 hours (while u wait). Wow.

The Diabetic Foot: Our Population Has Changed, but our Methods Haven't

2012-01-12T06:32:00.001-07:00

We'd ask you to begin thinking about the people for whom your're caring-- wherever in the world you're seeing them. Are they the same as 15 years ago? Ours certainly have.

Many of the methods we use to both evaluate them and treat them assume they haven't changed.

This manuscript from our team and our colleagues from France, University of North Carolina, Medical College of Virginia and University of Miami just became available.

Glucometer - Measure, Trend & Care

2012-01-10T15:25:00.002-07:00

Telcare brings the frontier platform; a smart glucometer that measures, trends and logs the readings for diabetics. T-mobile is the communication partner for the handheld meters, that lets online storage for patient/clinician access.

This shift in personal technology is inevitable, we would see more health data ported online (especially for chronic disease care) and mined using smart algorithms in 2012!

Portions have grown- So has diabetes- which can lead to amputation

2012-01-10T14:57:00.001-07:00

Here is the poster from the New York State Department of Health. Get your copy here.

New York anti-obesity ads pair soda, leg amputations

2012-01-10T10:10:00.001-07:00

This from Jonathan Allen at Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A diabetic man with a penchant for sugary drinks who lost his legs to amputation is the latest posterboy in the city health department's hard-hitting anti-obesity campaign.

The disturbing image of an amputee sitting near cups of soda was plastered in city subways on Monday, part of a series of ads aimed at shocking people out of dietary habits that can lead to obesity, said Thomas Farley, the city health commissioner.

"These are hard-hitting images because we really felt we need to drive home a point that large portions are not completely benign," Farley told Reuters.

The advertising campaign has previously used such arresting images as consumers gulping from a frosty glass filled not with a beverage but with globs of fat.

The newest ad tells subway passengers that as portion sizes have grown over time in the food and restaurant industries, so too has the incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, which it says "can lead to amputations."

The tagline reads, "Cut Your Portions, Cut Your Risk."

Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association, criticized the campaign for creating an "inaccurate picture" of the impact of soft drinks.

"Portion control is indeed an important piece of the solution to obesity," he said in a statement.

"Instead of utilizing scare tactics, the beverage industry is offering real solutions like smaller portioned containers and new calorie labels that show the number of calories in the full container, right up front, to help people chose products and sizes that are right for them and their families," he said.

The Department of Health says the campaign is necessary to warn consumers that they may be consuming more than they realize. Drink sizes at a fast food chain have quadrupled in the last five decades, while the size of a portion of French fries has doubled in that time, the department said.

Nearly 57 percent of New Yorkers are overweight or obese, the department said, and about 10 percent of New Yorkers have been told they have Type 2 diabetes.

Earlier advertisements in the anti-obesity campaign include 2009 images of oozing fat being poured into soda containers in an attempt to illustrate the link between the excessive consumption of sugary drinks and obesity.

There was some evidence that the campaign has had an impact: The percentage of adults drinking at least one "sugary drink" a day declined from about 36 percent in 2007, before the ads appeared, to about 30 percent in 2010, the department said, citing department surveys.

Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, said that portion sizes were a very important factor in determining how much people eat, or overeat. People can be fooled by larger portion sizes into thinking they are eating less than actually are.

The city has forced certain chain restaurants to prominently display calorie counts for each item on their menus. Farley, the health commissioner, said it was likely that this requirement was making some restaurants reconsider the size of their portions rather than have to publicize "embarrassingly" high calorie counts for food items.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Paul Thomasch)

SALSAisms: Update

2012-01-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

As requested, we have an update to the SALSAisms list here http://diabeticfootonline.blogspot.com/p/salsaisms-list.html enjoy.

SALSA Operating Room Playlist, January 2012 Edition

2012-01-08T10:33:00.001-07:00

By request, here is the SALSA O.R. Playlist, January Edition.

Any other suggestions? Feel free to leave a note.

On a related note, one of our favorite patients, under significant anesthesia and mumbling through an oxygen mask suggested the "Iron Butterfly Channel" on Pandora. What a hit. I'm sure some of those will make later playlists.

Anyway, please enjoy.

Vetiver – Right Away
Miracle Parade – The Dying Physicist
The Dead Weather – I Can't Hear You
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – I Hope You're Happy Now
The Bewitched Hands – Hard To Cry - (album version)
F*****d Up – Queen Of Hearts
The Wave Pictures – Friday Night In Loughborough
Atlas Sound – Mona Lisa
The Wombats – Techno Fan
Future Islands – The Great Fire
Jane's Addiction – Mountain Song
Ingrid Michaelson – Can't Help Falling In Love (Recorded Live at Daytrotter)
Jet – Look What You've Done
The Joy Formidable – Whirring
The Decemberists – Calamity Song
The Beat / The English Beat (USA) – Doors Of Your Heart
Bright Eyes – We Are Gonna Be Friends (feat. First Aid Kit)
Michael Andrews – Mad World
The Elected – The Bank And Trust
Killing Joke – Love Like Blood
Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Air Mattress
Koufax – Roll the Dice
Vampire Weekend – Giving Up The Gun
Rubblebucket – Came Out of a Lady
Bright Eyes – No Lies, Just Love
Aimee Mann – Save Me
Bright Eyes – Poison Oak
John Prine – In Spite Of Ourselves
The Black Keys – Everlasting Light
J Mascis – Is It Done
Brown Recluse – Impressions of a City Morning
Fun. – I Wanna Be The One
Bright Eyes – Pull My Hair
The Raincoats – Lola
Julie Ruin – Apt. #5
The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
WU LYF – Heavy Pop
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cheated Hearts
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Same Mistake
Belle And Sebastian – You Made Me Forget My Dreams
Bright Eyes – Poison Oak
Bat For Lashes – The Big Sleep
Damon & Naomi – How Do I Say Goodbye
Galaxie 500 – Tugboat
Stars – Dead Hearts
Ingrid Michaelson – Breakable
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Janglin
The Tributers – Video Games - Tribute to Lana Del Rey
Sonic Youth – Superstar
Iron And Wine – Such Great Heights
Iron & Wine – Half Moon
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Midnight Train To Georgia
Neil Young – My My, Hey Hey - Out Of The Blue Album Version
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Handsome Furs – When I Get Back
Handsome Furs – Serve the People
Beirut – Elephant Gun
Beirut – East Harlem
Mates of State – Maracas
The Byrds – My Back Pages
Uncle Tupelo – Moonshiner
White Mystery – Birthday
Titus Andronicus – A More Perfect Union
R.E.M. – Near Wild Heaven
Galaxie 500 – Strange
Sleigh Bells – Crown On The Ground
Cults – Go Outside
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
Carla Bruni – Absolute Beginners
Bright Eyes – No Lies, Just Love
Bright Eyes – Poison
Metric – Help I'm Alive
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Midnight Train To Georgia
Stars – Dead Hearts
Sebadoh – Truly Great Thing
Cold Cave – The Great Pan Is Dead
The Raincoats – Lola
Yo La Tengo – Speeding Motorcycle
Neil Young – My My, Hey Hey - Out Of The Blue Album Version
The Church – Under The Milky Way
Titus Andronicus – Arms Against Atrophy
Elbow – One Day Like This
Blur – Song 2
Grouplove – Betty's a Bombshell
The Wave Pictures – I Love You Like A Madman
Grouplove – Naked Kids
The Smiths – Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Bobby Malone Moves Home
Drive-By Truckers – Everybody Needs Love
The High Kings – Raglan Road
Supertramp – The Logical Song - Remastered Version/2010
Brown Recluse – Contour And Context
Bright Eyes – Pull My Hair
Fiona Apple – Across The Universe
Black Sheep – The Choice Is Yours
Regina Spektor – My Dear Acquaintance [A Happy New Year] - iTunes Live Session Performance
Billy Bragg – Brickbat
Violent Femmes – American Music
The Byrds – My Back Pages - Live

Toe and Flow: SALSA Cartoons

2012-01-06T07:56:00.001-07:00

For years, people have sent drawings our way. Here's one drawn minutes ago by our very own SALSA fellow, Joe Fiorito (we call him FreeToe). He's clearly playing off the riff of "toe and flow" and our frequent discussion with our new patients that they "pulled up to the full-service pump". Well played, FreeToe.

Surgeons and Hospital that Treated Giffords Build on Success

2012-01-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

This article is from today's Arizona Republic and USA today. Making something positive out of something so profoundly negative is quite a feat. Our hospital, healthcare team and friends Mike Lemole and Peter Rhee have done just that.

Surgeons, hospital that treated Giffords build on successes

By Ken Alltucker, The Arizona Republic

Updated 9h 31m ago

Comments

PHOENIX -- This week marks the first anniversary since University of Arizona Medical Center's doctors and nurses worked round-the-clock to treat U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffordsand other victims of a Tucson-area shooting rampage.

P.K. Weis, AP
This is the first anniversary since University of Arizona Medical Center's staff treated U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other victims of a Tucson-area shooting.

Enlarge

P.K. Weis, AP

This is the first anniversary since University of Arizona Medical Center's staff treated U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other victims of a Tucson-area shooting.

In the days after the Jan. 8 attack that killed six people and wounded 13, the hospital became the focal point of Tucson's efforts to recover in the aftermath of tragedy.

Life has changed dramatically for the two surgeons who became medical celebrities with their daily media briefings on Giffords and the other shooting victims. The hospital has gained boosts both in philanthropy and reputation.

But its staff also has coped with other key issues that continue to affect the Tucson community: a health-care system merger and a new name, state budget cuts for health care and an increasing volume of trauma patients.

Formerly called University Medical Center, the hospital has been renamed the University of Arizona Medical Center, which is part of the University of Arizona Health Network. The Health Network was formed from the 2010 merger of University Medical Center Corp. and University Physicians Healthcare.

Hospital representatives said that this week gives them an opportunity to reflect on their role in last January's shooting.

"It's an opportunity for us to look back on how we came together," said Karen Mlawsky, the hospital's CEO.

Dr. Peter Rhee, the trauma department's medical director, has maintained a high profile. He has attended a White House dinner honoring South Korea's president, hosted a fundraiser for the UA hospital's trauma center and raised awareness about issues such as gun violence and trauma funding.

Giffords' neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Lemole, also has used his fame to advocate for the hospital and has worked tirelessly to build his medical practice and expertise in skull-base surgery.

The shooting brought worldwide attention to southern Arizona's only Level 1 trauma center, but Lemole and Rhee said their individual efforts were nothing out of the ordinary.

"We're doing this all the time," Lemole said. "What looks like an exceptional event, for me and my partners, it happens a couple of times a week with a blood clot in the head or a gunshot wound."

One year after the tragedy, the goodwill generated from the hospital's efforts to treat the victims is still trickling in.

Generous donations

As hospital staffers worked to nurse the victims back to health, the hospital's foundation was deluged with offers of financial help.

"We got a ton of calls very quickly," said Kent Rollins, president of the UMC Foundation. "As early as the next day (Jan. 9), we got our first check for $5,000."

Hundreds of individuals pledged donations ranging from $10 to $5,000 in the days and weeks after the shooting, Rollins said.

Many donors expressed interest in contributing directly to the shooting victims, particularly 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, the youngest victim. Her parents established the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation with the goal of funding charitable and educational projects in the girl's honor.

Donors also have been generous to the medical center's trauma department, with an estimated $150,000 in gifts. The largest gift to the department came from Raytheon, which agreed to donate $100,000 for research on treating wounded veterans.

Rhee said he approached Raytheon about a potential donation to aid research on behalf of wounded veterans. Through his years as a battlefield surgeon, he said, he learned of the damage bombs and missiles can inflict on soldiers, so he thought Raytheon would be interested in funding efforts to help returning veterans recover from injuries.

Rhee returned to Tucson on Christmas Day after a two-week stint at a military hospital in Germany, where he tended to soldiers wounded in Afghanistan and met with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Rhee said these wounded soldiers -- many recovering from amputated arms and legs -- are "the soldiers I had in mind when I wanted to fund a Raytheon trauma center."

Rhee said such external funding sources are even more important now, considering Arizona's cut to health-care funding.

The hospital and medical staff also cited the event as having an impact on recruitment for new doctors and nurses.

The hospital does not keep any statistics on how the tragedy helped recruitment efforts, but hospital administrators and physicians anecdotally say the hospital's response to the tragedy is often a topic of conversation during interviews.

"The event elevated the university to a different status," Lemole said. "When I am recruiting faculty or even residents, the added high-profile exposure does help."

Keeping tabs on Giffords

Both Rhee and Lemole have spent time with Giffords in recent months and have praised her hard work and recovery.

Although Lemole is not involved in her rehabilitation, he has kept tabs on the Tucson congresswoman through her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly.

Lemole last fall attended a private dinner with Giffords, Kelly and family members before they both appeared on the air in a prime-time television news interview.

He acknowledges that his interaction with Giffords and family members has been unusual compared with most of his patients. He usually keeps a professional distance, preferring to keep emotions aside when making clinical decisions that will affect the outcome for an individual.

"When you interact with a patient, in many ways you have to keep them at a distance. You don't want to think about the fact you are operating on a human being," Lemole said.

But he said he has allowed those professional constraints to relax a little bit as his relationship with his highest-profile patient has developed.

Lemole added that Giffords is an ideal patient because of the sweat and effort she has put into her rehabilitation.

"She has made a phenomenal recovery, she really has," Lemole said. "She has a lot of courage to go out in public with her husband and display for the world to see the disabilities she is struggling with, her attempts to overcome them and her successes."

He would not offer an opinion on whether he thinks her health and recovery have progressed enough to allow her to run for re-election. If he said she could run again and she decided not to, he said, the public perception would be that she has somehow fallen short of expectations.

After such a life-altering experience, Lemole said, he does not know if Giffords even wants to run.

"What she will do is what she will do," Lemole said. "She has to take that at her own pace."

The International Diabetes Epidemic: What does it mean for clinicians?

2012-01-04T16:03:00.003-07:00

Enjoy this terrific clip from Medscape featuring SALSA's long-time friend, Anne Peters. You can see the video companion for this here.

Medscape Medical News from the:

International Diabetes Federation (IDF) World Diabetes Congress 2011

Hi. I'm Dr. Anne Peters, and today I'm reporting from Dubai at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) meetings. What I want to talk about is the US perspective on the international crisis of diabetes. Now, I know it's easy to sit back and think about all the things that we don't have in the United States when it comes to treating diabetes, and frankly there are many devices and things I'd love to provide to all my patients, but when you get outside of the United States and see what's happening around the world, one is both startled at how much other places lack as well as encouraged by all the things people are doing to try to tackle this epidemic.

This year more than any other year, I've traveled around the world. Most recently I was in Ethiopia, and in Ethiopia they have so little that it makes my clinic in East Los Angeles -- which is in a very poor part of town -- look like a magical oasis in the land of diabetes care. In Ethiopia, they don't really have insulin. So if you need insulin and have type 1 diabetes, you die. They don't really have much in the way of medications except for sulfonylurea agents, and maybe metformin. They don't have finger-stick glucose monitoring for most patients, and they don't have hemoglobin A1c measures. And yet they have people who are working together to bring technologies to Ethiopia and to then start addressing the problem throughout the population.

I think the world has increasingly become aware of these noncommunicable diseases that are wreaking havoc as our societies get older and change their lifestyles, and as rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes increase. I think everybody should come to a meeting like this, because here you are going to be able to speak to heads of diabetes associations from around the world, and exchanging ideas is frankly a lot of fun.

Now, what I find interesting in places where they have very little is that they're also eager for knowledge. Interestingly, at this meeting, I'm talking about continuous glucose monitoring, which is a tool that is expensive and even in the United States is often underutilized. But people like to learn about the potential of what we might be able to do for patients, even if they still at this point lack simple things like the tools with which to do self-monitoring of blood glucose levels.

A meeting like IDF is about connection. It is about learning from others around the world, what is important, and how to address these problems together. Everybody in the United States shouldn't take it for granted that we have access to insulin, test strips, and hemoglobin A1c testing. I think it's helpful to know what others lack and then try to help solve the problems both at home and around the world.

This has been Dr. Anne Peters for Medscape.