The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 12 COVID patients today, down from 13 Friday. Other significant numbers:
- 5 with the active virus today, 6 Friday
- 0 in ICU, 2 Friday
- 0 on ventilator, 0 Friday
- 7 hospitalized but out of acute infection phase, 7 Friday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Ryan Taylor, medical director of Liver Transplantation
- Artificial sweeteners have been around and been researched since the 1870’s. They are considered safe according to the FDA.
- Some artificial sweeteners may inhibit the liver from detoxifying the body and helping drug metabolism
- Of the eight artificial sweeteners with FDA approval, those with sodium as well as sucralose are the most concerning due to possible effects on the liver
- To fight liver disease, we should try to minimize calories on our diet which could lead to fatty liver, a leading cause of liver disease. It is excess energy which can turn to fat and is stored in the liver.
- Fatty liver disease can be a challenge to diagnose because it’s generally silent, usually found in routine physical exams.
- Fatty liver is reversable with proper diet and exercise to help change the metabolism
- Overuse of Tylenol can cause liver problems. Be sure to consult your doctor when using.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System
- New cases of COVID spreading across the country, but not at the level seen earlier this year
- “Explosive outbreak” of COVID in North Korea concerning. They have not been vaccinated over the last two years as the rest of the world has.
- Novavax vaccine, which uses a spike protein, not mRNA, could get FDA approval in June
- Nasal spray vaccines are still in development and trials but no date yet on general public availability
Tuesday, May 17 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. More than seven million people suffer trembling in the hands or arms. But Tuesday there will be one less person with these tremors. We’ll take you live to the operating room to watch the 100th patient receive this newer FDA non-invasive treatment.
ATTENTION: media procedure for joining:
Zoom link: https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
Telephone Zoom link: 1-312-626-6799, meeting ID: 782 897 8628
TVU Grid link: UoK_Health_SDI
Restream links: Facebook.com/kuhospital
YouTube.com/kuhospital
Send advance questions to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.
