“Sound Medicine” covers breakthroughs in research and the day-to-day application of recent advancements in medicine. It’s also available via podcast and Stitcher Radio for mobile phones and iPads and posts updates on Facebook and Twitter.
What is the Berlin Heart? The FDA recently approved the Berlin Heart, a mechanical pump for children with severe heart failure. The implanted device temporarily takes over the heart’s function, typically until the child receives a transplant. A team from Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health in Indianapolis, which has been using the device for a decade, played a key role in the approval process. Dr. David Crabb learns about the device from pioneering pediatric heart surgeon Mark Turrentine and one of his patients, Bailey Hunsberger, now a sophomore at Indiana University. Crabb also speaks with Elaine Cox, M.D., a specialist in pediatric infectious disease. She helped craft study protocols for the FDA’s approval process for the Berlin Heart. Dr. Turrentine is professor of surgery at the IU School of Medicine; Dr. Cox is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at the School of Medicine.
What is behind the increased prevalence of preschoolers with cavities? For the first time in 40 years, there is an increased number of children with multiple cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mirroring this alarming trend is the increased number of children who have to be anesthetized to treat their great number of cavities and overall tooth decay. Tune in to hear Jeffrey Dean, DDS, MSD, executive associate dean at IU School of Dentistry, share his thoughts regarding the origins of this trend and advice for parents of preschoolers to reduce the incidence of cavities.
How are pediatricians helping families with medically complex children? Pediatrician Jim Ogan, M.D., has established a program at the University of Virginia Medical Center to provide specialty care for medically complex children. Dr. Ogan authored an inspiring essay titled “Holy Moments” about a special neonatal intensive care patient. In a special segment, excerpts of Ogan’s essay are intertwined with the story of how the new program is helping children with unique medical problems.
Does new drug signify cystic fibrosis breakthrough? A drug approved by the FDA in January treats the underlying cause of a rare form of cystic fibrosis, a debilitating genetic disease that patients typically succumb to by their early 30s. This revolutionary breakthrough could not have been possible without a venture philanthropy partnership between a nonprofit foundation and a for-profit pharmaceutical company. Independent producer Katrina Roi reports in a special field piece on this significant advancement.
How do teenagers interpret the cancer experience? “The Fault in Our Stars” is being heralded as a masterpiece of young adult fiction, but according to many reviewers, it has the potential to connect with readers beyond the young adult audience. Its plot depicts the journey of an Indiana girl, Hazel Lancaster, who is battling cancer with an unfailing sense of irony and finds love with Augustus Waters, a boy in remission from cancer who she meets in a cancer support group. In uncharacteristic fashion for a so-called cancer book, Hazel provides a refreshingly honest and mature insight into her experience as a cancer patient. Cancer booklets and websites are wrong, says Hazel, who has terminal thyroid cancer, “Depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying.” John Green, author of “The Fault in Our Stars” and recipient of the National Author Award in the 2012 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award competition, shares his inspiration behind his novel and his thoughts on clichés associated with cancer patients.
“Sound Medicine” covers breakthroughs in research and the day-to-day application of recent advancements in medicine. It’s also available via podcast and Stitcher Radio for mobile phones and iPads and posts updates on Facebook and Twitter.
It is co-produced by the IU School of Medicine and WFYI Public Radio (90.1 FM) and underwritten in part by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. “Sound Medicine” airs on the following Indiana public radio stations: WBSB (Anderson, 89.5 FM), WFIU (Bloomington, 103.7 FM; Columbus, 100.7 FM; Kokomo, 106.1 FM; Terre Haute, 95.1 FM), WNDY (Crawfordsville, 91.3 FM), WVPE (Elkhart/South Bend, 88.1 FM), WNIN (Evansville, 88.3 FM), WBOI (Fort Wayne, 89.1 FM), WFCI (Franklin, 89.5 FM), WBSH (Hagerstown/New Castle, 91.1 FM), WFYI (Indianapolis), WBSW (Marion, 90.9 FM), WBST (Muncie, 92.1 FM), WBSJ (Portland, 91.7 FM), WLPR (Lake County, 89.1 FM) and WBAA (West Lafayette, 101.3 FM).
“Sound Medicine” is also broadcast on these public radio stations across the country: KSKA (Anchorage, Alaska), KTNA (Talkeetna, Alaska), KUHB (Pribilof Islands, Alaska), KUAF (Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Ark.), KIDE (Hoopa Valley, Calif.), KRCC (Colorado Springs, Colo.), KEDM (Monroe, La.), WCMU (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), WCNY and WRVO-1 (Syracuse, N.Y.), KMHA (Four Bears, N.D.), WYSU (Youngstown, Ohio), KPOV (Bend, Ore.) and KEOS (College Station, Texas).