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AACN to recognize unique contributions of certified nurses on March 19

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) joins with hospitals and other healthcare groups across the country Monday, March 19, to recognize the unique contributions of certified nurses as part of Certified Nurses Day.

16 Mar 2012

Addition of inflammatory biomarkers to clinical variables improve mortality prediction in COPD

The addition of changes in inflammatory biomarkers to established clinical variables improves the prediction of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

16 Mar 2012

Longer looks: Last interview with Oregon's assisted-suicide law architect; Med students spurn primary care for hospital jobs

Dr. Peter Goodwin, a family physician and right-to-die activist, took his own life on March 11, 2012, at age 83. He did it legally, with the blessing of his family and doctors, under the Oregon law allowing physician-assisted suicide -; the first such law in the country -; that Goodwin was instrumental in creating. … He did not look like a dying man; he was chirpy and alert ... However, as a result of his fatal disease -; a Parkinsons-like condition called coritcobasal degeneration -; he could not use his right hand or do much reliably with his left.

16 Mar 2012

AACN awards $50,000 Impact Research Grant to Duke nursing professor

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently awarded a $50,000 AACN Impact Research Grant to Brigit Carter, RN, PhD, MSN, CCRN, assistant clinical professor at Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, N.C., to study feeding intolerance in preterm infants.

14 Mar 2012

AACN awards $50,000 grant to nursing researcher

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently awarded a $50,000 AACN Impact Research Grant to Jean Anne Connor, RN, DNSc, CPNP, director of nursing research in the cardiovascular program at Children's Hospital Boston.

14 Mar 2012

InflammaGen Therapeutics initiates Shok-Pak Phase 2 pilot study

InflammaGen Therapeutics, a development-stage, critical care company initially focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of multi-organ failure (MOF), announced today that the Company has initiated a 200-patient Phase 2 pilot study to examine the efficacy and safety of InflammaGen Shok-Pak as a potential treatment for critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

12 Mar 2012

InflammaGen to initiate Phase 2 study of new drug/delivery platform for shock

A 200-patient Phase 2 clinical pilot study will be initiated this month to test the efficacy and safety of a new use, and method of administering, an enzyme inhibitor for critically ill patients developed by University of California, San Diego Bioengineering Professor Geert Schmid-Sch-nbein. Conditions expected to qualify for the study include new-onset sepsis and septic shock, post-operative complications, and new-onset gastrointestinal bleeding.

12 Mar 2012

Asahi Kasei to acquire ZOLL

Asahi Kasei Corporation, and ZOLL Medical Corporation today jointly announced that Asahi Kasei, Japan's leading diversified chemical manufacturer with businesses in the health care, chemicals & fibers, homes & construction materials, and electronics sectors, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with ZOLL, a manufacturer of resuscitation and critical care devices and related software solutions, pursuant to which Asahi Kasei will acquire ZOLL for approximately $2.21 billion.

12 Mar 2012

FDA approves Discovery Labs' SURFAXIN to prevent Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Discovery Laboratories, Inc., a specialty biotechnology company dedicated to advancing a new standard in respiratory critical care, today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SURFAXIN (lucinactant) for the prevention of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in premature infants at high risk for RDS.

6 Mar 2012

Study emphasizes importance of quality-of-life discussions for critically ill patients

A new study from Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing emphasizes the importance of having discussions related to quality of life before becoming critically ill.

6 Mar 2012

Innovative telemedicine program connects neonatal specialists to treat tiniest, difficult cases

An innovative telemedicine program connecting neonatal specialists from UC San Diego Medical Center and Tri-City Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will allow experts to collaborate, diagnose and treat some of San Diego County's tiniest, most difficult cases.

5 Mar 2012

Desflurane may be safer anesthetic option for patients with AD

In a study that will appear in Annals of Neurology and has received early online release, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that administration of isoflurane impaired the performance of mice on a standard test of learning and memory - a result not seen when another anesthetic, desflurane, was administered.

2 Mar 2012

Methylnaltrexone may restore bowel function in critically ill patients

Opioids are a mainstay of care in the critical care unit, but their use frequently causes constipation which can lead to adverse outcomes including delayed feeding and later discharge from the ICU. Researchers from London, UK, and Chicago, IL, have found that methylnaltrexone (MNTX), a peripheral opioid antagonist, may restore bowel function in critically ill patients.

2 Mar 2012

Inhaled interferon-gamma may effectively treat IPF

Inhaled interferon-gamma may be an effective treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic and progressive form of lung disease caused by excessive formation of fibrotic, or scar tissue, in the lungs, according to an article published in Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

1 Mar 2012

Tips to reduce potential sleep deprivation in children

For years, you've been through the loss of an hour in the spring and the gain of an hour in the fall as part of daylight saving time. With the upcoming time change slated for 2 a.m. Sunday, March 11, adults may be used to it, but children, including teenagers, may not be.

28 Feb 2012

New protocol decreases sternum infections in kids by 61%

A two-year effort to prevent infections in children healing from cardiac surgery reduced sternum infections by 61 percent, a San Antonio researcher announced at the Cardiology 2012 conference Feb. 23 in Orlando, Fla.

28 Feb 2012

Enrollment complete in Ikaria iNO Pivotal Phase III trial for BPD

Ikaria, Inc., a critical care company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for critically ill patients, today announced that it has enrolled the last patient into its Pivotal Phase III trial investigating the use of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

27 Feb 2012