July 22, 2010 – Changes included in the final rules governing the meaningful use objectives for Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs for electronic health records (EHRs) will improve the odds that more providers can qualify for government stimulus funding.

July 22, 2010 – Accumetrics Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Inc., and Eli Lilly and Co. recently announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration in the United States to raise awareness about antiplatelet therapy and the role of platelet function testing.

July 22, 2010 — Western Maryland Regional Medical Center’s recent upgrade to the newest version of the Impax HeartStation ECG (electrocardiogram) Management System has helped enable the rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients with posterior wall heart attacks.

Laser sheaths used for EP device lead extraction.
Spectranetics laser sheath being used for EP device lead extraction.

Cardiac rhythm device reliability and the approach to managing complications associated with these devices have recently been the topic of numerous medical and nonmedical publications.

July 21, 2010 – The Advancing Patient Safety Coalition sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month, urging the agency to immediately issue rules on unique device identification (UDI), which have been three years in the making.


In addition to the FDA-cleared Gore Helex and the AGA Amplatzer transcatheter devices for atrial septal defects (ASDs), there are several others in development or already cleared for use outside the United States.

July 20, 2010 – The final results of the landmark TRUST Trial (Lumax-T/Lumos-T Safely RedUceS RouTine Office Device Follow-up), which show wireless remote monitoring of implantable cardiac devices offers earlier detection of potenial cardiac problems, were published in the July 27 issue of Circulation.

The Amplatzer transcatheter occluder can help seal holes in heart.
Cardioform Septal Occluder, PFO closure, PFO, ASD occlusion, hole in heart
The Gore Helex can help seal a hole in heart.

Transcatheter structural heart repair devices deployed in the cath lab have largely replaced open-heart surgery as the therapy of choice. Percutaneously deployed septal occluders make it possible to repair atrial septal defects with better outcomes, fewer complications, faster patient recovery and lower health care costs.

July 20, 2010 — A $5 million loan was granted for the development of a new percutaneous mitral valve repair device.


There is no consensus about whether atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis should be stented or treated medically. There are strong opinions on both sides and clinical data up to now is heavily debated. Many see the trials that could have answered this question as flawed.
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