News

Study sheds new light on cause of loss of smell in COVID-19

10 November 2021

Loss of smell is a common symptom of COVID-19. Flemish doctors have taken tissue samples of deceased COVID-19 patients and have discovered that the virus infects the supporting cells of the olfactory mucosa, but not the nerve cells with the odorant receptors. The olfactory bulb in the brain was also spared.

Five alcohol intoxications a day at the Leuven emergency services

3 November 2021

Between 2008 and 2019 the number of patients presenting themselves with alcohol intoxication at the ER of the Leuven hospitals UZ Leuven and Heilig Hart Leuven has increased with half. Strikingly: it's youngsters and students, but especially fifty-year-olds that end up in the ER with problematic drinking behaviour.

Pregnant women to receive same pregnancy support

28 October 2021

From 1 November onwards the Leuven-Diest-Tienen region will be the first in Flanders to offer all pregnant women with a low-risk pregnancy the same care plan. The goal is to avoid double, contradictory or insufficient for information for all pregnant women.

Corona test centrum moves to UZ Leuven and innercity

28 October 2021

The past year and a half residents of Oost-Brabant could go to the corona station at OH Leuven for a COVID test. That test centre will close its doors at the end of the week. Instead two existing test centres will open their doors more broadly: for people in the car at UZ Leuven and for the innercity at KU Leuven.

SMAC: a bit of UZ Leuven in the middle of the 'Sportkot'

12 October 2021

The sport-medical advice centre, SMAC for short, moved to another workspace. Still at the campus of the Faculty of Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences, but in a more centrally located and brand new building.

UZ Leuven the first Flemish NIDCAP training institute for neonatal care

11 October 2021

At the end of September the UZ Leuven department of neonatology was officially named the first NIDCAP-training centre in Flanders. In future, nurses, midwives, neonatologists or home carers will be able to follow UZ Leuven courses to improve the care for premature babies.

Premature babies also benefit from breast milk

4 October 2021

For the fourth time in a row, UZ Leuven has been awarded the BFHI label, a label for hospitals that commit to breastfeeding in a scientifically substantiated manner. For UZ Leuven, one principle is at the heart of this: breast milk is for every newborn the first and best choice.

Genome-wide analysis now also possible for intended parents with a new genetic disorder

31 August 2021

At UZ Leuven it is now possible for intended parents to screen an embryo for a genetic disorder that did not previously occur in the family with one single test. Researchers at the Leuven centre for human genetics developed an all-in-one test for monitor embryos for a de novo genetic disorder.

Plasma with antibodies does not result in a better outcome for COVID-19-patients

27 August 2021

The national DAWn-plasma trial examined whether plasma, donated by convalescent COVID-19-patients, could improve the outcome for new patients. It did not have the expected positive effect: patients treated with convalescent plasma had the same need for mechanical ventilation and a similar mortality rate.

Preventive radiotherapy makes high-risk prostate cancer more curable

25 August 2021

For prostate cancer patients with a high risk of of lymph node metastases in the pelvis, preventive radiation therapy of these lymph nodes will increase the chance of being definitely cured. A multidisciplinary UZ Leuven team led an international trial.

Transplantoux cycles from the Gasthuisberg campus to Milan

23 August 2021

On Monday morning 23 August a Transplantoux peloton started a bike ride to Milan. In five days' time they will cycle to the main European transplantation congress. In the boot of the support car: a melting block of ice.

Estimating patient size based on X-ray images improves accuracy of the radiation dose

18 August 2021

The size of a patient determines the amount of radiation required for a successful X-ray examination. A new measuring method allow professor medical radiation physics Hilde Bosmans and her team to determine a more accurate radiation dose.