Doug Brunk is a San Diego-based award-winning reporter who began covering health care in 1991. Before joining the company, he wrote for the health sciences division of Columbia University and was an associate editor at Contemporary Long Term Care magazine when it won a Jesse H. Neal Award. His work has been syndicated by the Los Angeles Times and he is the author of two books related to the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball program. Doug has a master’s degree in magazine journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Follow him on Twitter @dougbrunk.
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Wrist-worn system detected convulsive seizures in home setting
HOUSTON – A wrist-worn device and smartphone-based alert system worn by a patient outside of the epilepsy monitoring unit for 3 months effectively...
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Rate of mosaicism in parents of children with epileptic encephalopathy likely underestimated
HOUSTON – The rate of parental mosaicism in children with sporadic cases of epileptic encephalopathy and an apparent de novo mutation is believed...
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Survey sheds light on clinical neurophysiology fellowship training
HOUSTON – Fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology received high rates of satisfaction, but recommended areas for improvements include more...
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Study shows NJ tube and PEG-J on par for enteral nutrition, but each has complications
CORONADO, CALIF. – Percutaneous gastrostomy with jejunal extension is an appealing and effective method for delivery of enteral nutrition in...
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Surgery for bowel obstruction in cancer patients didn’t increase 90-day mortality
CORONADO, CALIF. – Among advanced cancer patients with bowel obstruction, surgery was not an independent predictor of the ability to eat at...
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Hospital factors play key role in readmission risk after surgery
CORONADO, CALIF. – Variation in readmission risk across hospitals following certain surgical procedures is more attributable to hospital factors...
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Recovery path complicated for trauma patients with VTE
Patients who develop a VTE following severe hemorrhage are more susceptible to complications, compared with their counterparts who do not. They...
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Chief resident service increased trainees’ confidence and independence
CORONADO, CALIF. – Creation of a chief resident service meant to increase resident autonomy and provide continuity of patient care with...
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Discharging select diverticulitis patients from the ED found to be acceptable
CORONADO, CALIF. – Among patients diagnosed with diverticulitis via CT scan in the emergency department who were discharged home, only 13%...
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Emergent colon cancer resection does not negatively affect patient outcomes
CORONADO, CALIF. – With the exception of patients that present with perforation, emergent resection of colon cancers does not appear to adversely...
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Fragmented readmission after liver transplant linked to adverse outcomes
Postdischarge surgical care fragmentation significantly increases the risk of both 30-day mortality and subsequent readmission in the first year...
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Detecting PH in IPF ‘more art than science’
When it comes to the optimal management of pulmonary hypertension in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, there are more questions than...
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Indacaterol/glycopyrronium OK as preferred COPD treatment
LOS ANGELES – Indacaterol/glycopyrronium significantly reduced the annualized rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations in patients who had...
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Prognostic scores helpful in subset of COPD patients
LOS ANGELES – The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and the Glasgow Coma Scale are simple, accurate tools for risk stratification of...
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Comorbidities common in COPD patients
LOS ANGELES – Comorbidities are common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, especially cardiovascular disease, diabetes, anemia...