Department of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh
Matthew E. Woodske, MD
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Instructor of Medicine Phone: 412-802-8594 |
Bio
Dr. Matthew Woodske began his education at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH where he earned a BS of Biology and graduated magna cum lade in Dec. 1996. In the spring of 1997, he performed clinical research at the University of Pittsburgh Wound Healing Institute under the direction of Dr. David Steed, ultimately publishing two papers. He then attended medical school at the Milton S. Hershey Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine in Hershey, PA and graduated in May 2001. He then undertook his residency training soon after at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Montefiore / Presbyterian until June 2004. He was chosen as a Chief Resident immediately following his residency. Fellowship immediately followed in July 2005 and recently completed in June 2008. He is now an Instructor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Woodske’s clinical interests include intensive care medicine and general pulmonary medicine. He attends on clinical services including the medical intensive care unit in both Shadyside and Presbyterian Hospital, the medical and pulmonary acute care unit in Presbyterian Hospital, and Select Specialty Hospital, a long term acute care hospital. In addition to his ICU responsibilities, his clinical duties include outpatient pulmonary clinic at the Comprehensive Lung Center and inpatient pulmonary consults.
Academic and Research Interests
Dr. Woodske’s research over the last two years focused on the role of insulin and glucose in the pathophysiology of sepsis. He has used a mouse model of sepsis in which glucose and insulin secretion were manipulated. His research demonstrates that hyperglycemia (elevated glucose levels) with relative hypoinsulinemia (comparatively low insulin levels) are both necessary to produce mortality in sepsis. Mice who have hyperglycemia and elevated insulin levels appear to have some protection from the deleterious effects of sepsis. This research has future implications and clinical inpact. In current ICU practice, it is unclear who would receive benefit form insulin infusions during sepsis. Recent clinical articles have contradictory conclusions. Thus, research such as this, may give us insight to understand how insulin may improve outcomes in some patients with sepsis. Dr. Woodske has one paper submitted to Critical Care Medicine regarding this model of sepsis.
Dr. Woodske has now shifted his academic focus to education. He participates in medical school education through the second year pulmonary physiology course and through bedside teaching of physical exam skills. In his clinical endeavors, he has a role of bedside and didactic education of all levels of medical education, from third and fourth year medical students to interns and residents. He is also actively involved in the pulmonary and critical care fellowship program with bedside teaching rounds, didactic education, and in leading the clinical case conferences held on a weekly basis.
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Relative insulin deficiency predicts mortality in a mouse model of systemic sepsis. Solid black circles are the mice that died and open circles are those that live. Insulin and glucose measured at eight hours after a septic insult show that mortality is associated with low insulin levels and elevated glucose levels. |
Independent of blood glucose, an elevated circulating insulin level >7 ng/ml predicts survival in 100% of animals. When matched for the degree of hyperglycemia, survivors exhibited higher circulating insulin levels compared to non-survivors (p=0.004, n=7 each). |
Key Publications
Robson MC, Hill DP, Woodske ME, Steed DL. Wound Healing Trajectories as Predictors of Effectiveness of Therapeutic Agents. Arch Surg. 2000 Jul;135(7):773-7.
Steed DL, Hill DP, Woodske ME, Payne WG, Robson MC. Wound-healing trajectories as outcome measures of venous stasis ulcer treatment 2006 Mar;3(1):40-7