Critical Care News and Research

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Research could lead to new approaches to treat dementia

A researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in collaboration with scientists from the National Institutes of Health, has discovered that the deadly plaques of Alzheimer's disease interact with certain cellular proteins to inhibit normal signals that maintain blood flow to the brain.

11 Jan 2011

Kinetic Concepts acquires TechniMotion's patient handling technologies

Kinetic Concepts, today announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets and intellectual property of TechniMotion Medical, an Austin, Texas-based company that designs and develops innovative and ergonomic patient handling systems for acute and post-acute patient care.

11 Jan 2011

Teleflex announces acquisition of VasoNova

Teleflex Incorporated, a leading global provider of medical technology products, today announced it has acquired privately-held VasoNova Inc. in a transaction valued at up to $55 million.

10 Jan 2011

Saints Medical Center enters multi-faceted agreement with ZOLL

Saints Medical Center, a leading non-profit healthcare facility in the Greater Lowell area, is pleased to announce it has entered into a multi-faceted agreement with ZOLL Medical Corporation (Nasdaq: ZOLL) of Chelmsford, Mass., a leader in comprehensive hospital and EMS resuscitation solutions. This agreement includes the Saints-based EMS service working with ZOLL to collaborate on and test new product concepts and technology concepts.

7 Jan 2011

IV fluids for trauma patients may not be life savers all the time

Severely injured patients who are routinely given IV fluids by paramedics before transport to the nearest trauma center are significantly more likely to die than similarly injured patients who don't get the time-consuming IV treatment before hospitalization, new Johns Hopkins-led research suggests.

6 Jan 2011

Study: Helicopter transport positively impacts survival of injured patients

Severely injured patients transported by helicopter from the scene of an accident are more likely to survive than patients brought to trauma centers by ground ambulance, according to a new study published in The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care.

6 Jan 2011

EUSA receives FDA Priority Review status for ERWINAZE BLA

EUSA Pharma, a transatlantic specialty pharmaceutical company focused on oncology, oncology supportive care and critical care, today announced that its Biologics License Application for ERWINAZE(R) has been accepted for filing and awarded Priority Review status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

5 Jan 2011

New ATS guidelines for treating fungal infection in adult pulmonary and critical care patients

The American Thoracic Society has released a new official clinical policy statement on the treatment of fungal infections in adult pulmonary and critical care patients.

4 Jan 2011

Flu worries continue

As number of cases of flu rise in the UK, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is under pressure to strengthen the flu vaccination campaign. He reinstated a public health “Catch It, Bin It, Kill It” advertising campaign after he was warned by government advisers of the need to improve immunization rates which are at their lowest this winter for many years. It had been discontinued despite helping educate the public to adopt good hygiene habits during last year’s H1N1 swine flu epidemic at a cost of just £609,000. There were 12 more deaths in the last week from flu, bringing the total this winter to 39, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said today. Thirty-six were killed by H1N1 swine flu, which is the most virulent of the two main flu strains currently circulating. The others died after contracting Influenza B, the other strain. All except one of the 39 were under 65 and four were under five.

2 Jan 2011

General anesthesia's similarities with and differences from sleep and coma

The use of general anesthesia is a routine part of surgical operations at hospitals and medical facilities around the world, but the precise biological mechanisms that underlie anesthetic drugs' effects on the brain and the body are only beginning to be understood. A review article in the December 30 New England Journal of Medicine brings together for the first time information from a range of disciplines, including neuroscience and sleep medicine, to lay the groundwork for more comprehensive investigations of processes underlying general anesthesia.

30 Dec 2010

Top ten advances in cardiovascular, stroke research in 2010

Research on reducing risks, improving medical treatment and improving lifestyle behaviors to fight the battle against heart disease and stroke are among the key scientific findings that make up this year's top cardiovascular and stroke research recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

22 Dec 2010

Majority of nurses are unaware of simple diagnostic test for sepsis

bioMerieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announced the results of a survey demonstrating that most critical care nurses are unaware of a simple diagnostic test that may dramatically improve outcomes for sepsis patients.

22 Dec 2010

CoreMatrix delivers new cloud based, integrated, on demand marketing solutions

CoreMatrix Systems™, one of the country's leading cloud computing consulting and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) development companies, announced today that it has developed and delivered two new integrated, on demand marketing solutions. Built on Aprimo Marketing Studio® On Demand, the cloud-based solutions are designed to empower marketers to more efficiently execute and measure integrated marketing campaigns, while reducing costs, for improved ROI.

21 Dec 2010

ICU Medical wins I.V. connector patent infringement suit against RyMed

ICU Medical, Inc., a leading manufacturer of safe medical connectors, custom medical products and critical care devices, recently secured a victory in a patent infringement case against RyMed Technologies, Inc.

21 Dec 2010

New study finds 80% of transfer cases in Illinois take longer than two hours

Illinois law states that when hospitals need to transfer trauma patients to centers with higher levels of trauma care, such transfers should be made within two hours.

21 Dec 2010

Inspire's denufosol tetrasodium TIGER-1 Phase 3 trial for CF published in AJRCCM

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the results from its first Phase 3 clinical trial with denufosol tetrasodium for cystic fibrosis (CF), TIGER-1, have been published in the peer-reviewed publication, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM). Denufosol is an investigational, inhaled, novel ion channel regulator currently in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of CF.

20 Dec 2010

CF patients with normal to mildly impaired lung function may benefit from new investigational drug

Cystic fibrosis patients with normal to mildly impaired lung function may benefit from a new investigational drug designed to help prevent formation of the sticky mucus that is a hallmark of the disease, according to researchers involved in a phase 3 clinical trial of the drug.

19 Dec 2010

Study examines the impact on asthmatics related to common environmental mould

Scientists investigating the allergic reactions that asthmatics suffer towards a common mould have discovered that many people with asthma actually had the mould growing in their own lungs.

15 Dec 2010

Smiths Medical launches Medfusion 4000 wireless syringe infusion pump with PharmGuard systems in Canada

Smiths Medical, a leading global medical device manufacturer, announced today it received a license from Health Canada and launched its Medfusion® 4000 syringe infusion pump with the PharmGuard® software suite in Canada. The new customizable system allows health care providers to send and receive medication delivery information more efficiently, helping to prevent medication errors.

15 Dec 2010

School-based intervention program helps students with asthma better manage symptoms

A school-based intervention program helped New York City high school students with moderate to severe asthma better manage their symptoms, dramatically reducing the need for urgent care, including hospitalizations and emergency room visits, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

9 Dec 2010