Certain Types of Vena Cava Filters May Fracture and Fragment, Causing Potentially Life-Threatening Complications

Two specific types of vena cava filters, devices used to prevent blood clots from reaching the lungs, appear to have evidence of fracturing inside the body, with some fractured fragments traveling to the heart and causing potentially life-threatening complications, according to a report posted online that will appear in the November 8 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Read More »

B. Braun Customers Gain Premier Access to Zynx Health Device Network’s Evidence-based, Customizable Drug Library Program

B. Braun Medical Inc. (B. Braun) “smart” pumps (www.smartpumps.bbraunusa.com/news) will become even smarter when customers gain premier access to customized, evidence-based drug libraries provided by the Zynx Health Device Network’s Prime-A-Pump®, a web-based, customizable program for creating and updating drug libraries.

Read More »

ABMS to Develop Physician Assessments Related to Health Information Technology as Part of its ABMS Maintenance of Certification® Program

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) intends to create tools to promote the meaningful use of health information technology (HIT) and incorporate them into ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®), a program created by ABMS and its 24 Member Boards to promote lifelong learning and self assessment for physician specialists.

Read More »

New Standard for Labeling on Injectable Medications Designed to Reduce Likelihood of Patient Death, Disability

To reduce the likelihood of patient death and disability resulting from errors in the administration of injectable medications in hospitals and other healthcare settings, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is advancing new labeling requirements that will standardize the information permitted on the highly visible area of these vials to only cautionary statements intended to prevent imminent life-threatening situations.

Read More »

Delaware Tightens Oversight of Physicians

In July, Delaware Governor Markell signed a set of nine bills that tighten oversight of physicians and increase protection of children in medical care. Known collectively as The Bradley Bills, Delaware’s new legislation is the most comprehensive of its kind in the country and is named after a physician pedophile who got away with sexual abuse or rape of more than 100 children over the course of 10 years, while fellow physicians, hospitals, government agencies, and others looked the other way.

Read More »

ASQ Healthcare Conference Seeks Presenters

Healthcare organizations from around the globe are invited to share their models of quality improvement at the upcoming 2011 Quality Institute for Healthcare (QIHC) Conference, May 16-18 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Read More »