Learn the secrets of the human vessel — medical discoveries, human biology and the science behind how our bodies function.
Early CJD cases linked to reused neurosurgical instruments showed that standard sterilization could fail against prions, leading to stricter decontamination and instrument-handling protocols.
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A neonatal intensive care unit Candida bloodstream outbreak was linked to contaminated retrograde syringe fluid used during parenteral nutrition, rather than to the nutrition solution itself.
Read more →It formally defined cigarette smoking as a major public-health hazard and helped justify federal anti-smoking action.
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Pemberton's sign is a bedside maneuver in which raising both arms causes facial congestion and neck vein distension, suggesting substernal goiter and possible thoracic inlet compression.
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A 1999 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak was traced to whirlpool spa displays at a flower show, where contaminated aerosolized water likely infected visitors.
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The article explains that powdered surgical gloves were banned in the United States after evidence showed the glove powder could cause inflammation, adhesions, and other complications, so hospitals shifted to non-powdered alternatives.
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Whole genome sequencing found closely related Lodderomyces elongisporus in infants and on apple surfaces, suggesting an unexpected environmental reservoir.
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A UK hospital investigation traced part of a Candida auris outbreak to reusable axillary temperature probes that were difficult to clean.
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The Tuskegee syphilis study became a landmark medical ethics scandal because researchers continued to deny participants penicillin after it was recognized as an effective cure for syphilis.
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Jesse Gelsinger died in 1999 after participating in a University of Pennsylvania gene therapy trial, prompting major scrutiny and tighter oversight of gene therapy research.
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The 1987 Duhaime et al. paper challenged a key biomechanical assumption in shaken baby syndrome by testing whether shaking alone could generate the forces thought necessary for the most severe brain injuries.
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A 2004 cluster of SARS infections in Beijing was linked to laboratory work, highlighting biosafety failures and prompting stronger laboratory safety measures in China.
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U.S. health officials traced mercury poisoning cases to a skin cream imported from Mexico, leading to FDA alerts, product testing, and warnings to stop using the cream.
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An April 1980 cluster of illness in central Illinois was traced to histoplasmosis exposure from disturbed material in a school attic.
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The article explains how adding iodine to table salt helped prevent iodine-deficiency disorders, including endemic cretinism, by correcting a missing micronutrient at population scale.
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The article says tick microbiomes may influence how ticks carry and transmit pathogens, making disease risk more complex than tick numbers alone.
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Haiti’s 2010 cholera outbreak was traced to sewage contamination linked to a UN peacekeeper camp, leading to a major public health crisis and accountability concerns.
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Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a temporary heart condition that can closely mimic a heart attack, often causing chest pain, shortness of breath, and elevated troponin without the usual blocked artery.
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The article explains how COVID-19 sometimes caused silent hypoxia, where patients had dangerously low blood oxygen levels despite appearing relatively comfortable, which changed how clinicians assessed and monitored them.
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Spending about 20 to 30 minutes in nature is linked to the sharpest drop in salivary cortisol, suggesting a short outdoor break may be enough to help reduce stress.
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The article explains that the body already removes waste through the liver and kidneys, so most detox cleanses and products are unnecessary and unsupported by evidence.
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The article says that anticipation and attention before surgery can make pain feel stronger, not just the procedure itself.
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The adult human skeleton is usually described as having about 206 bones, but that number changes as children grow and some bones fuse or vary slightly between people.
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The article explains that chronic pain can involve learned brain and nervous-system patterns, and that CBT may help reduce pain by changing thoughts, attention, anticipation, and coping.
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Small controlled studies suggest that rosemary aroma may modestly improve performance on certain memory tasks, especially prospective memory, but the evidence is limited and does not show broad cognitive enhancement.
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Research suggests that self-selected music may reduce stress and anxiety more effectively than music chosen by someone else because personal preference and meaning matter.
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The article says caffeine can help endurance exercise feel more manageable when taken in a moderate dose, usually about 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, roughly 60 minutes before training.
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The article says short walking breaks during the workday can help restore focus, reduce mental fatigue, and support productivity.
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A major meta-analysis found that strong social relationships are associated with about a 50% higher likelihood of survival, with the quality and supportiveness of ties mattering as well as their number.
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The article explains that the human body produces a surprisingly large lifetime volume of saliva, and that saliva helps with eating, swallowing, speaking, digestion, and oral health.
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