Intensive Care News and Research

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First Edition: December 7, 2010

In today's headlines, Senate leaders appear to be nearing a one-year deal on Medicare's physician pay problem.

7 Dec 2010

HHS, U.S. Treasury Department recognize Integrated Medical Systems' technolgy

The medical technology developed by Integrated Medical Systems, Inc., has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Treasury Department as a "qualified therapeutic discovery." The designation earns the company a grant to off-set its development efforts. The Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project designation and grant is provided for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

6 Dec 2010

Study confirms importance of EEG as diagnostic tool in ICU

Bleeding in and around the brain (cerebral hemorrhage, including intra-cerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage among other forms), from whatever cause (stroke, ruptured aneurysm, stroke, tumor, trauma, etc) can be very irritating to the electrical cells of the brain and affect how these cells transmit signals. If cells become very irritated and/or hyperactive, seizures can occur.

6 Dec 2010

Patients with H1N1 flu die due to over-reactive immune response: Research

On November 19, Jason Martin returned to the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the first time since he nearly died there during last year's H1N1 flu pandemic. The tall and burly Warren County, TN, ambulance worker - a 30-year-old, father of three young children - broke down and hugged some of the nurses he recognized.

6 Dec 2010

Merck plans to acquire SmartCells

Today pharmaceutical company, Merck & Co., Inc. announced it will acquire SmartCells, Inc., a private biotech developing a glucose-responsive insulin whose proof-of-concept preclinical trials were partially funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

4 Dec 2010

Loyola nurses honored

Loyola University Health System revenue specialist Judy Williams, RN, CEN, TNS, recently took on a nontraditional nursing role, which resulted in a significant cost savings for the organization. Williams oversees fiscal responsibility for the Emergency Department. In this position, she has identified opportunities to overcome billing obstacles through intradepartmental collaboration and nurse education on proper documentation for reimbursement.

3 Dec 2010

Johns Hopkins patient-safety tools help reduce lethal bloodstream infections

Using a widely heralded Johns Hopkins checklist and other patient-safety tools, intensive care units across the state of Michigan reduced the rate of potentially lethal bloodstream infections to near zero.

3 Dec 2010

BMEYE signs licensing agreement with PULSION Medical Systems

BMEYE's Breakthrough Totally Noninvasive Blood Pressure and Cardiac Output Technology Will be Incorporated Into PULSION's Next Generation Patient Monitors

3 Dec 2010

Study finds nursing home residents carry MRSA infection

A study published in the January 2011 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology finds that a high percentage of nursing home residents carry Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and suggests that some nursing homes could be doing more to prevent the spread of the bacteria, which can lead to hard-to-treat infections.

2 Dec 2010

St. Jude ICU honored with Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence for second consecutive year

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has been recognized for the second consecutive year with the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence given by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). In 2009, the St. Jude ICU became Tennessee's first ICU to win the honor.

2 Dec 2010

Booster dose needed to protect preterm infants against invasive pneumococcal disease

A new study suggests that preterm infants may not be fully protected against invasitve pneumococcal disease under the current United Kingdom immunization schedule. The findings are reported in the November issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

2 Dec 2010

Sleep plays a crucial role in post-infarction remission

The heart and the brain appear to be even more closely connected than previously imagined. The damaging effects of myocardial infarction are apparently not confined to the heart, but also affect the brain.

2 Dec 2010

Vets compare VA hospitals online; Government doctors may face pay freeze

Government Health IT: The Veterans Affairs Department's Hospital Compare website, www.hospitalcompare.va.gov, is "providing online tools so veterans can compare how well the VA's 153 hospitals perform, with the ultimate goal of spurring further improvements at those facilities." Veterans and their families can go online to compare the "relative strengths" and weaknesses of VA hospitals, ranked by color codes.

1 Dec 2010

Increased staffing enhances patient survival in medical ICU

In a first-of-its-kind study to measure the impact of the highest recommended specialist staffing levels in an intensive care unit, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that increased staffing by specially trained physicians and other health care professionals can enhance patient survival and enable patients to breathe sooner without assistance. The results of the study have been released online ahead of print in the journal Critical Care Medicine.

30 Nov 2010

University Hospitals receives $42 million for cancer care

Jane and Lee Seidman have donated $42 million to University Hospitals (UH) the largest gift in the Cleveland-based health system's history. In recognition of this unprecedented generosity, UH is naming the "Jane and Lee Seidman Cancer Center" in their honor.

30 Nov 2010

New ultrasound-based treatment for varicose veins

Rowena Cheng, RN, has spent most of her 34-year career on her feet. Standing for long periods of time comes with the job of being a nurse. For Cheng, however, it exacted a physical toll: knotted, swollen blood vessels in the calf of her left leg.

30 Nov 2010

GE announces 510k clearance for wireless, digital X-ray detector at 96th RSNA

GE Healthcare announced today the 510k clearance of its next generation wireless, digital X-ray detector at the 96TH annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. GE's FlashPad is a reliable, long-term investment for future Radiography and Fluoroscopy systems, compatible with a variety of GE X-ray products today and is the only wireless digital detector capable of supporting advanced applications.

30 Nov 2010

Toshiba to showcase episode-based care solutions at RSNA annual meeting

Containing costs while delivering high-quality, effective care is a directive of healthcare reform. With episode-based care as part of the reform mandate, many healthcare providers are uncertain about its effect on both patient outcomes and their bottom-line. Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. is partnering with leading healthcare providers to develop solutions to address episode-based care by effectively utilizing patient-focused imaging technology and a multidisciplinary collaborative approach to treatment.

29 Nov 2010

CIHI study finds impact of H1N1 pandemic on Canadian hospitals

While the H1N1 global pandemic may not have resulted in as many severe cases as originally predicted, a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that more than 15,000 Canadians were admitted to hospital for H1N1 in Canada between April and December 2009.

24 Nov 2010

Study examines nosocomial outbreak of influenza in Hong Kong hospitals

Direct contact and droplets are the primary ways influenza spreads. Under certain conditions, however, aerosol transmission is possible. In a study published in the current issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, available online, the authors examined such an outbreak in their own hospital in Hong Kong.

23 Nov 2010