Intensive Care News and Research

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Four Detroit area hospitals announce worse than average infection rates

Hospitals in the Detroit area vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 25 Detroit area hospitals, along with other critical patient safety and satisfaction information for consumers.

2 Feb 2010

Four Los Angeles area hospitals report zero central line infections

Hospitals in Los Angeles vary dramatically in terms of how well their intensive care units (ICUs) prevent central-line bloodstream infections, a cause of death, disability, and expense in our nations' hospitals that is largely preventable. On February 2, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org will post hospital infection rates for 41 Los Angeles area hospitals, along with other critical patient safety and satisfaction information for consumers.

2 Feb 2010

Caregivers of ICU survivors endure more stress than those caring for Alzheimer's disease patients

Intensive care unit patients are not the only ones likely to be severely depressed in the aftermath of hospitalization. Family and friends who care for them often suffer emotional and social hardship, too, according to a prospective study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine that is the first to monitor patients and caregivers during a one-year period for predictors of depression and lifestyle disruption.

2 Feb 2010

Positive results from Phosphagenics' TPM Phase 1B clinical study for transdermal delivery of oxycodone

Phosphagenics Limited today announced positive results from a Phase 1B clinical study using the Company’s patented TPM™ (Targeted Penetration Matrix) for the transdermal delivery of oxycodone. The results of the successful trial demonstrate that daily application of a TPM™ patch delivers therapeutic levels of oxycodone into the blood stream in a reproducible, consistent and sustained manner.

2 Feb 2010

Muscle-sparing treatments could improve patient outcomes and reduce costs

A University of Kentucky researcher is investigating respiratory weakness as a factor in the morbidity of intensive-care patients and will soon be testing new treatments that could improve long-term patient outcomes while reducing costs of care.

30 Jan 2010

Lebanon Cardiology Associates and The Good Samaritan Hospital team up to implement hypothermia protocol for improved cardiac care

Lebanon Cardiology Associates teamed with The Good Samaritan Hospital to implement one of the top 15% performing emergency cardiac catheterization teams treating heart attacks in the United States.

29 Jan 2010

Brighton Hospital signs letter of intent to build an addiction treatment facility in Riyadh

Brighton Hospital, the second-oldest alcohol and drug treatment provider in North America, has signed a letter of intent to begin a long-term management contract with a Saudi Arabian company to build a 291,000 square-foot, 250 bed addiction treatment facility in Riyadh, to serve the entire Islamic Mideast.

28 Jan 2010

Treating septic shock patients with intensive insulin therapy does not reduce risk of in-hospital death

Treating adults with septic shock with intensive insulin therapy to counter elevated blood glucose levels associated with corticosteroid therapy did not result in a reduced risk of in-hospital death, compared to patients who received conventional insulin therapy, according to a study in the January 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Jan 2010

MAQUET Cardiovascular initiates study evaluating EVH in CABG compared to open vein harvesting

MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC, a leading provider of cardiovascular technologies, today announced the initiation of the OPTION (Optimal Improvement of Vein Graft Patency Long Term by the Implementation Of Novel Endoscopic Harvesting Techniques) study. This clinical trial is designed to evaluate the equivalence of Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting (EVH) in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery compared with historical data for open vein harvesting. David Moore, M.D., of THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano is the principal investigator for the OPTION trial.

27 Jan 2010

Prometheus Laboratories executes commercialization agreement with Novartis

Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, today announced the execution of a commercialization agreement with Novartis under which Prometheus acquired exclusive rights to distribute, promote and sell PROLEUKIN® (aldesleukin) in the United States.

27 Jan 2010

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

A group of UK anaesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties. The devices, detailed in a paper published online by Anaesthesia, could also be used where resources are limited, such as in developing countries, remote locations or by the military.

27 Jan 2010

New findings suggest trauma patients are insulated from ‘weekend effect’

People who are in car crashes or suffer serious falls, gunshot or knife wounds and other injuries at nights or on weekends do not appear to be affected by the same medical care disparities as patients who suffer heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrests and other time-sensitive illnesses during those "off hours," according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

23 Jan 2010

DHMC patient surveillance system decreases adverse events in postoperative care

A simple yet enormously effective patient surveillance system implemented by anesthesiologists at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, New Hampshire has proven to dramatically decrease the number of rescue calls and intensive care unit transfers in postsurgical patients, allowing doctors to intervene in more cases before a crisis situation develops.

23 Jan 2010

HTDS evaluates business proposal ahead of dividend distribution

Hard to Treat Diseases (HTDS; http://www.htdsmedical.com/) subsidiary Slavica Bio Chem recently announced entry into the stem cell bank development. An unsolicited business proposal is currently being evaluated by the company from an obstetrician type medical company. This company is engaged in a treatment for pre-term labor and induction of labor. These symptoms affect millions of people worldwide.

23 Jan 2010

Workers combat hospital infections

CNN reports on efforts to combat hospital-acquired infections, which affect 1.7 million people each year and kill 99,000, while adding $28 billion to the nation's overall health care bill, according to federal research. "But there are signs of improvement. Pennsylvania, which requires the most extensive reporting of hospital-acquired infections, saw the annual rate for all infections drop 8 percent, according to the most recent figures available from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council."

22 Jan 2010

California Heart Center joins Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation

The California Heart Center, the cardiology group that developed the nation's largest heart transplant program, has joined the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation.

22 Jan 2010

Pediatric hospitals can decrease bloodstream infections following low-tech rules

Pediatric hospitals can significantly decrease the number of bloodstream infections from central venous catheters by following some low-tech rules: Insert the catheter correctly and, above all, keep everything squeaky clean after that.

22 Jan 2010

Researchers show how MRSA transmission can be tracked in hospital settings

For the first time, researchers have shown how transmission of MRSA from one person to another can be precisely tracked in a hospital setting. The team have developed a remarkable new method that can 'zoom' from large-scale inter-continental transmission events to the much finer detail of person-to-person infection of MRSA within a single hospital.

22 Jan 2010

MAQUET Cardiovascular to host educational symposium to optimize cardiovascular care

MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC, a leading provider of cardiovascular technologies, announced today that it will a host an educational symposium featuring leading cardiovascular surgeons who will discuss the critical issues in caring for today's cardiovascular surgery patients.

22 Jan 2010

New study concerning the severity of H1N1 influenza published in CMAJ

A new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/doi/10.1503/cmaj.091884 concerning the severity of H1N1 influenza has found that admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU) were associated with a longer interval between symptom onset and treatment with antivirals and with presence of an underlying medical condition.

22 Jan 2010

Intensive Care News and Research

Four Detroit area hospitals announce worse than average infection rates

Four Los Angeles area hospitals report zero central line infections

Caregivers of ICU survivors endure more stress than those caring for Alzheimer's disease patients

Positive results from Phosphagenics' TPM Phase 1B clinical study for transdermal delivery of oxycodone

Muscle-sparing treatments could improve patient outcomes and reduce costs

Lebanon Cardiology Associates and The Good Samaritan Hospital team up to implement hypothermia protocol for improved cardiac care

Brighton Hospital signs letter of intent to build an addiction treatment facility in Riyadh

Treating septic shock patients with intensive insulin therapy does not reduce risk of in-hospital death

MAQUET Cardiovascular initiates study evaluating EVH in CABG compared to open vein harvesting

Prometheus Laboratories executes commercialization agreement with Novartis

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

New findings suggest trauma patients are insulated from ‘weekend effect’

DHMC patient surveillance system decreases adverse events in postoperative care

HTDS evaluates business proposal ahead of dividend distribution

Workers combat hospital infections

California Heart Center joins Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation

Pediatric hospitals can decrease bloodstream infections following low-tech rules

Researchers show how MRSA transmission can be tracked in hospital settings

MAQUET Cardiovascular to host educational symposium to optimize cardiovascular care

New study concerning the severity of H1N1 influenza published in CMAJ

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