Ventilator News and Research

RSS

Gentium presents evaluation results of Defibrotide for VOD at the ASH conference

Gentium S.p.A. today announced final clinical trial results from the Company’s Phase II/III Pediatric Prevention trial and Phase III Treatment trial for Defibrotide of Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease (VOD), which were presented at the American Society of Hematology Conference (ASH) in New Orleans.

8 Dec 2009

H1N1 virus causes more life-threatening complications than seasonal flu

Infection with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, causes more life-threatening complications than seasonal flu in children with sickle cell disease, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

8 Dec 2009

Paralyzed dancer sues Cargill over E. coli tainted burger

Stephanie Smith, the twenty-two year old Minnesota dance instructor left paralyzed by a burger tainted with E. coli filed suit today against Cargill, who produced the contaminated meat. Ms. Smith, whose “The Burger that Shattered Her Life” profile in the New York Times was emailed all over the country, covered by hundreds of media outlets and galvanized legislators to change food laws, attempted mediation with the company, but was unable to come to a fair agreement with them.

5 Dec 2009

CCI patients discharged from hospitals on ventilator support fare poorly four months later, says study

Patients, discharged from hospitals on ventilator support and with cognitive impairments, fare poorly four months later. Researchers from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University report these findings in American Journal of Critical Care.

4 Dec 2009

Videos can help overcome communication barriers and influence patients' choices for medical care

Patients with terminal brain cancer who watched a brief video illustrating options for end-of-life care were significantly more likely to indicate a preference for comfort measures only than were patients who listened to a verbal description of treatment choices.

3 Dec 2009

MSC's Quality Initiative Programs to be highlighted at the 2009 IHI National Forum

Medical Simulation Corporation (MSC) will highlight its full menu of Quality Initiative Programs at the 2009 IHI National Forum, December 7-9, 2009, in Orlando, Florida. MSC is the first simulation company to introduce simulation-based education programs that help healthcare providers bridge the gap between measurement and achievement of publicly reported patient safety and quality initiatives.

2 Dec 2009

Scientists demonstrate stem cells heal lungs of newborn rats; study anticipated to benefit premature babies

Dr. Bernard Th-baud lives in two very different worlds. As a specialist in the Stollery Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, he cares for tiny babies, many of whom struggle for breath after being born weeks before they are due.

27 Nov 2009

UT Southwestern Medical Center to offer NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System implantation

Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center soon will begin implanting a new device designed to improve breathing in patients with upper spinal-cord injuries or other diseases that keep them from breathing independently.

26 Nov 2009

Pain assessment and management may improve patient outcomes and lead to shorter ICU stays

A large study of more than 1,300 patients has provided evidence that increased attention to pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may improve patient outcomes and lead to shorter ICU stays.

24 Nov 2009

Vanderbilt University researchers study role of statins in reducing flu-related deaths

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers are studying statins, the class of drugs long associated with lowering cholesterol, as a way to reduce H1N1-related deaths.

13 Nov 2009

Mechanical ventilation damages lungs, says scientist

As more Canadians are diagnosed with H1N1 influenza infection, some will be admitted to hospital. The most severely affected may be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) and placed on a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe while they recover from the infection.

13 Nov 2009

Canadian researchers organize clinical trials to find new treatments for H1N1 infection

An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic.

12 Nov 2009

South Florida man inspires "Ian's Law," fights against discriminatory health insurance practices

McClatchy/The Miami Herald reports on Ian Pearl, a South Florida man born with muscular dystrophy who is drawing attention to discriminatory health insurance practices against the disabled. Pearl is the "inspiration for 'Ian's Law,' legislation being introduced by two New York state legislators that would require insurance companies to get approval from the state before dropping coverage plans for existing clients."

12 Nov 2009

Prone ventilation for ARDS patients does not lower mortality rate, says new study

Despite a current suggestion that patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome be positioned lying face down while receiving mechanical ventilation, study results indicate that this positioning does not significantly lower the risk of death compared to similar patients positioned lying face up during ventilation, according to a study in the November 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Nov 2009

iNO therapy for respiratory failure in premature babies does not improve long-term outcomes

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO), a therapy used in the treatment of premature newborns with respiratory failure that had shown promising results in short-term studies, does not significantly improve long-term outcomes, according to a national study led by critical care researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

4 Nov 2009

NIAID awards Pulmatrix $2.2M grant for developing novel influenza therapeutics

Pulmatrix, a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing a new class of therapies for the treatment and prevention of infectious and progressive respiratory diseases, today announced that it has been awarded a grant for $2.2 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aimed at advancing the development of novel influenza therapeutics for the treatment of seasonal and pandemic influenza.

2 Nov 2009

Pulmatrix raises $30.2 million through Series B financing

Pulmatrix, a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing a new class of therapies for the treatment and prevention of infectious and progressive respiratory diseases, today announced that it has secured $30.2 million in Series B financing. ARCH Venture Partners and Novartis Bioventures Fund co-led the round with participation from existing investors Polaris Venture Partners and 5AM Ventures.

2 Nov 2009

MSC's Quality Initiative Programs to support best practice-based training for healthcare professionals

MSC's Sepsis Program has demonstrated the capability to increase tested knowledge in early identification and treatment of sepsis among trainees by over 46 percent. The program has been delivered to healthcare providers representing a range of institutions, from community hospitals to large academic teaching hospitals, demonstrating wide applicability among healthcare professionals with varied clinical backgrounds and previous training.

30 Oct 2009

Dexmedetomidine can reduce pain when removing a tube from the airway of critically ill patients

A study presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting demonstrated that the use of the sedative Dexmedetomidine was safe and reduced the amount of time for the extubation process, or the process of removing a tube from the airway of critically ill patients.

26 Oct 2009

New cutting edge nerve procedure relieves migraine permanently

The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that a 57-year-old Plainfield man reports he is free of constant headache pain after undergoing a new cutting edge nerve procedure to permanently eliminate pain caused by migraines. The procedure was performed by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Matthew Kaufman, of the Plastic Surgery Center in New Jersey on August 4, 2009.

21 Oct 2009