Critical Care News and Research

RSS

Raised levels of carbon dioxide in blood may lead to ‘near death experiences’

Near death experiences (NDEs), reported to include sensations such as life flashing before the eyes, feelings of peace and joy, and apparent encounters with mystical entities, may be caused by raised levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care investigated the unexplained events in 52 cardiac arrest patients.

8 Apr 2010

WTC FDNY Rescue Workers have not recovered normal lung function, yet

A study of nearly 13,000 rescue workers from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) shows that the significant proportion who suffered acute lung damage after exposure to World Trade Center (WTC) dust have not recovered normal lung function in the years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

8 Apr 2010

Obstructive sleep apnea more than doubles stroke risk in men

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men, according to new results from new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Overall, sleep apnea more than doubles the risk of stroke in men.

8 Apr 2010

UNC Charlotte researcher improves lives of families and children affected by birth defects

Birth defects remain a leading cause of death in the first year of life. According to the March of Dimes, every 3 to 4 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. About 1 in every 33 infants is affected by birth defects.

8 Apr 2010

Obstructive sleep apnea associated with increased risk of stroke in men

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men, according to new results from a landmark study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

8 Apr 2010

Scientific American features Echo Therapeutics' non-invasive, wireless Symphony tCGM System

Echo Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing its needle-free Symphony™ tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring (tCGM) system and its Prelude™ SkinPrep System for transdermal drug delivery, announced today that its Symphony™ tCGM System has been featured in a March 31, 2010 online magazine article in Scientific American entitled "This Really Won't Hurt a Bit: Wireless Sensor Promises Diabetics Noninvasive Blood Sugar Readings," by Larry Greenemeier.

3 Apr 2010

Conasa to distribute full MetaVision suite of solutions from iMDsoft in Spain

Conasa, one of Spain's most established IT service providers, will distribute the full MetaVision suite of solutions from iMDsoft. iMDsoft is a global leader in hospital-wide clinical information systems, with established market-leading solutions for critical care and with customers in 21 countries across the globe.

1 Apr 2010

Ikaria Holdings acquires NDA and IND application for LUCASSIN drug

Ikaria Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has acquired the New Drug Application (NDA) and the Investigational New Drug (IND) application to LUCASSIN® (terlipressin for injection) from Orphan Therapeutics, assuming all future development and ownership of the drug in North America and Australia.

31 Mar 2010

ASA encourages spreading awareness about Doctors Day 2010

The American Society of Anesthesiologists joins communities across the United States today to recognize Doctors Day 2010, a day with a special tie to anesthesiology.

30 Mar 2010

Lung transplant patients may one day benefit from synthetic peptide, researchers report

Lung transplant patients may one day benefit from a synthetic peptide that mimics the body's natural ability to reduce excess fluid accumulation, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

26 Mar 2010

Pay-For-Performance program to improve quality of patient care

The ATS has released an official policy statement of pay-for-performance (P4P) in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. In the statement, the Society encourages clinicians in these fields to participate in P4P programs and views them as an opportunity to partner with healthcare payors, accrediting organizations, governmental oversight groups and others to improve quality, rather than as a threat to autonomy and independence.

25 Mar 2010

Researchers devise simple water test to check for herbicide clomazone

University of California, Davis, scientists are helping rice farmers in Uruguay stop polluting their waterways -- including drinking-water sources and a globally valuable nature reserve.

23 Mar 2010

FDA approves APP Pharmaceuticals' Indomethacin for Injection

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Indomethacin for Injection. Indomethacin is therapeutically equivalent to the reference-listed drug INDOCIN® I.V., by Lundbeck, Inc.

23 Mar 2010

Gentofte University Hospital deploys iMDsoft's MetaVision in its newly-built ICU

iMDsoft®, a global leader in hospital-wide clinical information systems, has been selected by Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark, to deploy MetaVision® in its newly-built, state-of-the-art, ICU.

22 Mar 2010

Post Acute Medical purchases Northshore Specialty Hospital

Post Acute Medical today announced the purchase of Northshore Specialty Hospital, a 58-bed, Long Term Acute Care Hospital.

22 Mar 2010

CDIs are becoming significant issue in healthcare institutions: Study

Clostridium difficile infections are quickly becoming a significant issue in healthcare based upon recent studies. Preliminary data collected from nursing homes and highlighted in a Supplementary Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory shows that almost 40 percent of gastrointestinal infections reported are CDIs.

19 Mar 2010

Stress during pregnancy may raise infant’s risk to asthma and allergy

Stress during pregnancy may raise the risk of asthma in offspring, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

18 Mar 2010

Studies link atmospheric CO pollution to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, cardiac mortality

In the healthy rat, prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) under conditions that mimic urban pollution leads to changes to cardiac morphology and function. Compensatory mechanisms develop in these animals to sustain normal cardiac activity, but they become more vulnerable to heart disease.

18 Mar 2010

Blocking GM-CSF could reduce inflammation and deleterious effects of cigarette smoke exposure

Researchers in Australia have demonstrated that blocking a certain protein can reduce or prevent cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation in mice. Inflammation underlies the disease process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and many other smoking-related ailments.

18 Mar 2010