FDA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: April 24th, 2020
April 24, 2020
Silver Spring, MD – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic:
Thursday, the FDA issued a guidance on non-invasive fetal and maternal monitoring devices to help increase the availability and capability of these devices used to support patient monitoring during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus
American Heart Association says 3D image may provide better size match for Child Heart Transplants
November 17, 2015
American Heart Association Meeting Report
Orlando, FL – A new 3D computer modeling system may significantly improve a surgeon’s ability to select the best sized donor heart for children receiving heart transplants, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015.
Transplant centers currently assess compatibility of a potential donor heart by comparing the donor weight to the recipient weight and then picking an upper and lower limit based on the size of the patient’s heart on chest X-ray. But the assessment is not precise and variations in size and volume can have a major effect on the recipient’s outcome.
Models of multiple children’s hearts who were born with congenital heart defects, used for surgical planning. (Cardiac 3D Print Lab, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Heart Center)
American Heart Association reports Surgeons use 3D printed model of Heart to treat patients with disorders
November 29, 2014
Chicago, IL – An experimental 3-dimensional printed model of the heart may help surgeons treat patients born with complicated heart disorders, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014.
Most heart surgeons use 2D images taken by X-ray, ultrasound and MRI for surgical planning. However, these images may not reveal complex structural complications in the heart’s chambers that occur when heart disease is present at birth (congenital heart defects), as opposed to developing later in life within a structurally normal heart. [Read more]
American Heart Association says Depression linked to higher Heart Disease Death Risk in Younger Women
June 21, 2014
Dallas, TX – Women 55 and younger are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack, die or require artery-opening procedures if they’re moderately or severely depressed, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Women in this age group are also more likely to have depression, so this may be one of the ‘hidden’ risk factors that can help explain why women die at a disproportionately higher rate than men after a heart attack,” said Amit Shah, M.D., M.S.C.R., study author and assistant professor of Epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. [Read more]
Tennessee Department of Health sees fewer Tuberculosis cases, but says case complexity on the rise
March 20, 2014
World TB Day Symposium to Address Challenges, Share New Tools
Nashville, TN – The number of confirmed cases of tuberculosis, one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, reached a historic low in Tennessee in 2013. However, many TB cases seen in Tennessee in recent years are complex and more challenging for health care providers to treat.
As part of the observances of World TB Day March 24th, TDH is working to remind Tennesseans that TB is a significant public health concern. [Read more]
American Heart Association says new Implanted Defibrillator works well without touching Heart
August 29, 2013
Dallas, TX – A new type of defibrillator implanted under the skin can detect dangerously abnormal heart rhythms and deliver shocks to restore a normal heartbeat without wires touching the heart, according to research in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation.
The subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillator (S-ICD®System) includes a lead placed under the skin along the left side of the breast bone. Traditional implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) include electrical conducting wires inserted into blood vessels that touch the heart.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b19gnplaP8U[/youtube] [Read more]
Consumer Reports says Unnecessary Medical Care that can be Hazardous to Your Health and Your Wallet
May 21, 2012
Five Examples Culled From the Choosing Wisely Campaign
Yonkers, NY – When should patients say “Whoa!” to their doctors? Consumer Reports has some answers in a new follow-up report to the Choosing Wisely campaign launched in April by the ABIM Foundation.
The coalition of nine physician groups compiled lists of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question” to represent each doctor group. It’s been estimated that up to 30 percent of health care in the U.S. is unnecessary. [Read more]
