M. Alexander Otto began his reporting career early in 1999 covering the pharmaceutical industry for a national pharmacists' magazine and freelancing for the Washington Post and other newspapers. He then joined BNA, now part of Bloomberg News, covering health law and the protection of people and animals in medical research. Alex next worked for the McClatchy Company. Based on his work, Alex won a year-long Knight Science Journalism Fellowship to MIT in 2008-2009. He joined the company shortly thereafter. Alex has a newspaper journalism degree from Syracuse (N.Y.) University and a master's degree in medical science -- a physician assistant degree -- from George Washington University. Alex is based in Seattle.
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Observing BP measurement made no difference in SPRINT
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – It didn’t matter whether BP measurements were observed or not; blood pressure control and outcomes were largely the same either...
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Restrictive transfusion strategy safe in cardiac surgery
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Using a lower hemoglobin threshold for transfusion in surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is as safe as the usual 9.5 g/dL.
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Keep PCI patients on aspirin for noncardiac surgery
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Perioperative aspirin is more likely to help than harm PCI patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.
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ACA repeal could mean financial ruin for many MI, stroke patients
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Investigators weighed median hospital charges for AMI and stroke against census and labor statistics data.
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Direct oral anticoagulants okay during AF device placement
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – The clinical scenario, not hematoma or stroke risk, can guide the decision to continue DOACs during antiarrhythmic device...
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Salivary biomarker identified for Huntington’s disease
SAN DIEGO – Perhaps the greatest potential is for predicting disease onset so treatments can be started before symptoms emerge.
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Low-sodium DASH benefits increase with higher blood pressures
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – The higher the blood pressure, the more there is to gain from a low-sodium DASH diet.
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Pediatric seclusion and restraint increases with ADHD, decreases with PTSD
The researchers hope to identify the children most likely to end up in seclusion and restraints so steps can be taken to prevent it.
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Recommend high CBD, low THC products to marijuana-using patients with psychosis
Marijuana and psychosis don’t mix.
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ECT patients do better when families attend sessions
NEW ORLEANS – Making patients’ loved ones “ambassadors against stigma” can help demystify the procedure, experts say.
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Home induction viewed as OK with Suboxone
NEW ORLEANS – Dr. Margaret Chaplin says patients need to be either opioid free or in withdrawal to prevent problems.
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VIDEO: How to manage surgical pain in opioid addiction treatment
NEW ORLEANS – It is possible to give opioid addiction patients opioids for post-op surgical pain without increasing the risk of relapse.
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Use MADRS to dose ketamine for refractory depression
Patients on maintenance therapy saw their MADRS scores drop from a mean of 28.72 points at baseline to 10.73 points.
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VIDEO: Measuring, treating brain hypoxia looks promising for TBI
A new trial is in the works to definitively answer whether knowing both intracranial pressure and brain oxygenation can improve neurologic...
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VIDEO: Alzheimer’s blood test expected soon
The test is under review for marketing approval.