The Scope

If you or someone you know takes opioid-based pain medications or has a history with heroin abuse, a naloxone kit in the home can save their life. In many cases, the overdose is an accident: A child gets into a grandparent’s medicine cabinet or a patient forgets they already took their pill and takes another one too soon. With a naloxone injection this deadly overdose can be reversed. In Utah, you...

It’s not something most pregnant women want to plan for when preparing for their new baby to be born: complications. Knowing what to expect when a complication occurs is crucial to a safe labor and delivery for both mom and baby. Janet Fisher, labor and delivery nurse educator, talks to Dr. Kirtly Jones about the conversations every pregnant woman should have with her clinician before the due date...

You see it happening but just can’t get there fast enough to stop it—your child falls or gets hits in the head. Dr. Cindy Gellner says the first thing to do is not to panic. Head injuries are common in active kids and there are three main types: scalp injury, skull fracture and concussion. In this episode, Dr. Gellner tells you what the most dangerous head injury is and what to do at home if it ha...

With so many tasks vying for your attention, why spend precious time sending out short 140 character Twitter messages? Sara Yeo, PhD (@sarakyeo), assistant professor of communication, explains the advantages of communicating via Twitter, who you can expect to reach, and how you can use it to your advantage.

Neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors are dangerous because they might be potentially cancerous but can go relatively unnoticed for a long period of time. Dr. Tom Miller speaks with pancreatic transplant surgeon Dr. Thomas Chaly about these dangerous ninja cancers and how to treat them.

Bacteria help build babies' immune systems. During a natural birth, the passage through the birth canal allows mom’s bacteria to colonize the baby. But what about babies born by cesarean section? Data suggest C-section babies may have more autoimmune diseases such as asthma and type 1 diabetes. So should C-section babies be gauzed with mom’s vaginal bacteria during the first few minutes of life? D...

There are many treatment options for pancreatic cancer—from resection to radiology to surgical de-bulking. But for some rare types of cancer, like neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas, more dramatic treatments may be necessary. Surgeon Dr. Thomas Chaly speaks on how a pancreatic transplant can be used as a treatment and potential cure for pancreatic cancers when other treatments have failed.

Thumb-sucking is a normal comfort habit for younger children, but when it lingers past age four or five, it can affect dental health and become harder to break. Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD , explains when thumb-sucking is harmless, when it becomes a concern, and the most effective, positive ways to help your child give up the habit without a battle.

Traditionally, a liver used for transplant came from a deceased donor. Now, a handful of hospitals in the United States have the ability to do what’s called a “living donor” liver transplant. It’s a very complex procedure where a piece of the donor’s liver is put into the recipient. After a short time, the segments in the donor and the recipient naturally increase in size and serve as two function...

Medical advances have improved outcomes for heart attack patients, even for the sickest patients who undergo cardiogenic shock, a condition where the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Yet a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that over half of all heart attack patients either die or are rehospitalized within one year after being di...

Travis Maak, MD , used to volunteer on the ski patrol. He says every day after 3:30 pm is when the injuries start happening. But what makes 3:30 pm different than 10 am? Is it conditions or conditioning , or a bit of both? Dr. Maak identifies the factors he thinks contribute to those late-in-the-day, last-run injuries, and has advice for skiers to avoid ending the day in a bad way.

LASIK surgery can be a life-changing option for those looking to reduce dependence on glasses or contact lenses—but how safe is it, and what should you expect? Mark Mifflin, MD , explains how modern LASIK technology ensures a quick, pain-free, and highly accurate procedure. Learn how expert guidance, advanced laser tracking, and proper postoperative care make LASIK a reliable and low-risk solution...

Straining, crying, and turning red without producing a bowel movement can leave parents worried that something is seriously wrong—but in many cases, it is a normal developmental phase called infant dyschezia. Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD , explains why babies struggle with bowel movements and what parents should—and should not—do to help.

Your nose runs and you might cough a few times during the day, even though you don’t have a cold. For otherwise healthy people, those are the immediate effects of a bad air day in Salt Lake City. And when the inversion goes away, so do those symptoms. But the inversion also impacts our health over the long term. Heidi Hanson is a researcher who investigates how polluted air affects people during t...

For the first time, the Anticoagulation Forum has published clinical guidance statements for managing blood clots in the veins, or venous thromboembolism. Dan Witt , PharmD, Professor of Pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah, is a lead author on statements regarding warfarin management. He explains what prompted the new set of guidance statements, how they differ from existing guidelines, and...

Do you find yourself short of breath, even from a slow walk with the dog? Do you have to catch your breath at the top of a short staircase? Pulmonary hypertension might be the cause. It can limit your quality of life and, untreated, eventually, lead to heart failure. Nathan Hatton, MD , says, unlike hypertension (high blood pressure,) it can be difficult to detect and determine the root cause of p...

Croaking, creaking, and vocal fry—they’re all different descriptions of a way of talking marked by a low, vibratory sound that often comes at the end of a sentence. You’ve no doubt heard many girls and women, and even some boys and men talking in this manner. Maybe even your own kids. It’s not only bothersome to many people to listen to, but it also can cause vocal fatigue and potentially harm the...

Many women struggle with Valentine’s Day expectations: if he loved me, he’d know what I wanted; if he doesn’t do something big, he doesn’t care; surprises are more romantic. If this sounds familiar, Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones has advice on how to better approach it to set your partner up to succeed and you to have the Valentine’s Day you want.

Nail biting is a common habit, but usually not a serious one for most children. Most children who bite their nails eventually lose the habit, but some may continue well into adulthood. In more serious situations, nail biting can lead to health concerns. There is no prescription to stop nail biting, but it can be addressed. Dr. Cindy Gellner talks about the reasons why nail biting occurs and offers...

Older adults who are otherwise healthy are at earlier risk for death if they have low blood levels of bicarbonate, a main ingredient in baking soda. Kalani Raphael , MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah and nephrologist at the VA Salt Lake Health Care System, explains the surprising results of his research. Why might low bicarbonate levels indicate poor health,...

What do doctors consider when determining whether to use a CT scan or a MRI for a patient? Radiologist Dr. Ulrich Rassner says there are many factors that go into that decision and it really comes down to what diagnostic information the physician wants to obtain. Learn what issues are involved so you can make sure your doctor recommends the best and safest imaging option for your situation.

Every year around this time you see the posts about how the number of heart attacks increase on Super Bowl Sunday. Is that legit or just a good story to pass around on social media? We asked cardiologist Dr. John Ryan if it’s for real.

Diet enthusiasts talk and blog about it all the time—the Mediterranean diet. It can be difficult to follow, but this diet can help protect against heart disease and improve well-being. Lillian Khor, M.B.BCh., BAO, medical director of Preventive Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation , talks with Kirtly Jones, MD , about the heart-health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and shares practical tips f...

It might seem like your child does not eat enough, is never hungry, or will not eat at all, and you worry they will starve unless you spoon-feed them yourself. Do not worry. It is normal for a child's appetite to slow down between the ages of 1 and 5. Normal does not mean it is pleasant, however. Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD , gives tips on what parents can—and should not—do to help their child...

You’ve been watching what you eat, but yet a month later your weight is the same. What’s going on? We ask endocrinologist Dr. Dev Abraham from the University of Utah Diabetes Clinic if it could be a thyroid issue.