The Scope Radio

Autism effects people their entire lives. Yet most research about the autism spectrum focuses on childhood and adolescence then goes straight to geriatrics. But what about autism in adulthood? What resources are available to aging parents of people with autism and the adults with autism? Scott Wright, researcher at University of Utah and editor of the book "Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mid and Later Life," looks into the research and what can be done to ensure the aging autism population can lead happy fulfilling lives.

Our hands are one of the primary ways we interact with the world. We touch, feel, grab and grasp. It’s pretty common to get them hurt in a lot of different ways. Dr. Andrew Tyser covers the different types of trauma that can happen to your hands and, more importantly, what to do, step-by-step if you ever find yourself separated from one of your fingers.

Does your child have a rash? Red bumps all over the skin that leaves scabs? Does it look like chicken pox? Dr. Cindy Gellner thinks probably not. If your child received her standard 12-month immunizations, she has already received the chicken pox vaccine. The vaccine has a 97 percent effectiveness, so whatever your child has is probably something else and Dr. Gellner gives you some suggestions as to what it might be.

Are you the type of person who likes working with your hands, problem solving and is a bit of a science nerd? Have a favorite parasite? Then maybe a medical technologist job at ARUP is right for you. ARUP medical technologist, Kristen Case specializes in parasitology. Her workday consists of looking at samples through microscopes and running tests to help diagnose what's wrong with patients at medical centers all over the world. With a four-year undergrad degree and on-the-job training at ARUP, she says it is one of the most fun and rewarding jobs she ever could have imagined.

Warm weather is coming and it’s time to get your yard ready for summer–but be careful using a lawn mower. Dr. Troy Madsen, emergency physician, joins us to describe common lawn mower injuries he sees in the ER, and the type of injuries he sees the most might just surprise you.

How concerned should you be about Zika? For the physician perspective, we asked Dr. Carrie Byington from University of Utah Health Care and also the chairwoman of the United States Olympic Committee Infectious Disease Advisory Group. It’s a brief but informative conversation about who should be concerned, to what extent, and what you can do to reduce your risk.

Nursing can be not only physically and mentally demanding, but also emotionally draining. Nurses must treat their patients with kindness and compassion for long and demanding shifts. Some nurses, however, can burn out on caring for patients. It’s called Compassion Fatigue, and Patricia Morton explores what causes the condition, warning signs to watch for and steps nurses can take to regain passion for their work.

Low sex drive is not uncommon in men, with 20 to 25 percent expressing having little interest for an extended period in the past year. But what about a sudden drop in male libido? It may be a touchy subject for some men, but it’s worth discussing if you feel your partner isn’t acting normal in the bedroom. In this special episode of "Am I Normal," Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones explores eight common reasons that may be behind your male partner’s low sex drive to answer the question of whether or not he’s normal.

The picosecond laser is the most precise piece of laser technology available to dermatologists, capable of bursts as small as one-trillionth of a second. In skilled hands this laser can remove tattoo ink more effectively and with fewer treatments and potential complications than previous lasers. Dr. David Smart explains how the laser works and why it is so important for patients to make sure they have a skilled dermatologist who uses a quality laser remove their tattoos.

The occasional “knuckle rub” to an itching eye can feel so relieving, especially as allergy season starts. But according to Dr. Mark Mifflin, professor of ophthalmology, chronic eye itching can lead to serious, irreparable damage to your eyes. On this episode of "The Specialists" we investigate what can cause constant eye irritation–and the risks you take by rubbing your eyes too often or too hard.

A randomized clinical trail led by Huntsman Cancer Institute investigators finds that a combinatorial chemotherapy reduces precancerous polyps by 75 percent in patients at high-risk for cancer. This advance represents the first prevention therapy against the leading cause of death, cancer of the small intestine, for patients with a genetic condition that leads to a 100 percent lifetime risk for developing cancer. Co-author of the study published in JAMA, and Utah Genome Project investigator Deb Neklason, Ph.D., explains how an investigation of families represented in the Utah Population Database identified the genetic cause of the disorder, making this work possible. She also describes how discovery of the new therapy could inform prevention strategies against other types of cancers, including sporadic colon cancer.

Most smells come from kids being active explorers and can wash off with soap, water and teeth brushing. But what if an offensive odor doesn’t go away? Dr. Cindy Gellner goes smell by smell to identify what’s causing that stink and talks about whether you should visit your child’s pediatrician.

Imagine this: during a skin self-exam you notice a growth or mole that looks suspicions but you aren’t sure. You take a picture of it with your phone using a special app that allows others to vote whether or not they think you should do something about it. The next day, you wake up and learn that 38 percent of the people that looked at it you should see a dermatologist. Sound crazy? Maybe, but it works. Jakob Jensen is a communication researcher at University of Utah who won a $2.2 million National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Grant to implement a system just like that. He talks about how he came up with the idea and why it works.

Playing novice electrician? Stuck something in an outlet you shouldn’t have? This time on "ER or Not" Dr. Troy Madsen explores what health risks you may face after experiencing a minor electrical shock. Spoiler: You should probably go to the hospital.

Some women just “feel a little different” around the beginning of their menstrual cycle. This is called a catamenial symptom. These symptoms can include everything from cramping to headaches to acne to anxiety and are caused by changes in the hormone and biochemical levels in a woman’s body. But in some rare cases, this monthly change in body chemistry can cause severe and potentially dangerous reactions. Dr. Kirtly Jones describes some of the more catastrophic things women experience during their cycle, what causes them and when to make an appointment with your doctor.