Postoperative atrial fibrillation (PoAF), a form of arrhythmia, complicates 20-40% of cardiac surgical procedures and 10–20% of non-cardiac thoracic operations, cropping up two to four days after surgery to pose risk of stroke, heart attack, mortality, longer hospital stays and greater cost.

Out of the electronic health records (EHRs) of patients seen at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a team in the Department of Biomedical Informatics is creating a COVID-19 patient registry as a platform for research.

Lisa Bastarache, MS, research assistant professor of Biomedical Informatics, and Tony Capra, PhD, associate professor of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Informatics, described the intersection of genetics and electronic health records during last week’s Cutting-Edge Discovery Lecture.

The intersection of genetics and electronic health records will be discussed by two Vanderbilt University researchers during a Cutting-Edge Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Jan. 30. The lecture will begin at 4 p.m. in 208 Light Hall.

A computational method that uses hospital billing codes and electronic health records can identify genetic disease cases before clinical teams do.

Some biomedical researchers may be unsure about routine electronic health record (EHR) data and how useful it ultimately may prove for drawing meaningful, actionable associations that warrant changes to clinical practice and lead to improved clinical outcomes.

A drug used to treat diabetes may point to new therapies for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis — inflammation and obstruction of the lungs’ small airways. A multi-disciplinary team of Vanderbilt investigators has demonstrated that liraglutide reduces the inflammatory response to RSV infection in a mouse model of the disease.