In a The Washington Post article that explores how parents can navigate conversations about marijuana with their kids, Adrienne Hughes, M.D., shares insight on the drastic changes in adolescent cannabis abuse, citing an OHSU-led study that identified an increase of 245% since 2000.

The work of nurse-scientist Quin Denfeld, Ph.D., is profiled as part of OHSU Research Week. Denfeld says, “We don’t entirely know what to do with frailty. We know that it’s common and that it can predict outcomes such as hospitalization, poor quality of life and death. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions."

The Idaho Statesman reports that "an Idaho neighbor" is stockpiling the medication abortion drug mifepristone, even as in Idaho, the state government has outlawed abortion in nearly all cases and is the first state to pass a law making it illegal to help a minor travel to another state for an abortion without parental consent. OHSU procured 22,500 doses for the state of Oregon.

In a story about the changing landscape of teen marijuana use, Adrienne Hughes, M.D., discusses her findings that teen cannabis abuse has increased 245% in the U.S. since 2000: "The dramatic rise in adolescent cannabis use in 2017 really does coincide with the wave of decriminalization in the country," she says. Beyond rendering the drug more accessible, legalization has also "contributed to the perception that it's safe."

In an InvestigateTV story about the need to update and harmonize airline emergency medical kits across airlines, Avital O’Glasser, M.D., says, “People live into their seventies, eighties and nineties and if you have medical conditions, certainly you shouldn’t have to be afraid of flying. I think [updating the kits is] absolutely crucial.”

Guinness World Records certifies a team of OHSU dermatologists detected the world’s smallest skin cancer, measuring just .65 millimeters. Alexander Witkowski, M.D., Ph.D., emphasizes the importance of early cancer detection and says it was critical this melanoma was found “before it had the opportunity to spread to other parts of the body."

Guinness World Records certifies a team of OHSU dermatologists detected the world’s smallest skin cancer, measuring just .65 millimeters. Alexander Witkowski, M.D., Ph.D., emphasizes the importance of early cancer detection and says it was critical this melanoma was found “before it had the opportunity to spread to other parts of the body."

As COVID-19 hospitalization rates stabilize, and federal and state COVID-19 relief funding dries up, demand for registered nurse travelers has dropped dramatically. Now, hospitals nationwide are focused on recruiting full-time nurses. Loss of emergency funding, lower COVID-19 rates and more full-time hires has led to “a bursting of the bubble,” says John Hunter, M.D.

Jane Liu, M.D., and Jessica Wenzel, M.D., find the risks for urinary tract infection and urine leak do not increase in patients with early ureteral stent removal and shorter antibiotic prophylaxis after radical cystectomy. Renal & Urology News reports findings, which were revealed in a poster presentation at the American Urological Association’s 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting. “Radical cystectomy without intra-operative ureteral stents is feasible,” Liu says.

The program discusses the new coronavirus variant, Arcturus, and its potential impact on Oregon. Peter Graven, Ph.D., says he expects new variants to drive a new wave of hospitalizations in Oregon that will peak at around 500 patients in late June, but he expects the state’s hospital system to be able to handle any surge.