(Reuters) – Medicare penalties are tied to fewer repeat hospitalizations for some common health problems, but a new study suggests current policy doesn’t encourage hospitals in the United States to focus on preventable deaths. Researchers examined nationwide data for both deaths and readmissions within 30 days of discharge for three common problems: heart failure, pneumonia […]
Hospital Care
Outpatient care quality stays flat
(Reuters) — The quality of outpatient care hasn’t changed much in the U.S. over the past decade, despite a variety of local, regional and national efforts to encourage improvements, a study suggests. “Overall, the quality of outpatient care has remained largely flat; there are some areas of improvement, but we also see areas of decline,” said […]
Spectral Medical’s Toraymyxin fails pivotal trial
A clinical trial of the Toraymyxin anti-sepsis device made by Spectral Medical (TSX:EDT) failed to meet its primary endpoint, sending share prices on a -81.1% plunge today. Toronto-based Spectral developed a stand-alone pump, the Toraymyxin device, designed for use with an assay to identify endotoxin levels. The system aims to use a 2-column hemoperfusion to remove septic […]
Mevion touts new proton therapy tech
Mevion Medical Systems announced its latest development in proton therapy, touting improvements that could allow its Hyperscan system to treat tumors other proton therapy systems cannot. The announcement was made at the 58th annual ASTRO meeting this week in Boston. CEO Joseph Jachinowski told MassDevice.com that the Littleton, Mass.-based company’s Hyperscan system is now integrated with the Adaptive […]
Hill-Rom picks up Tridien Medical, inks $1.5B term loan, reportedly deals WatchChild
Update: Added more information and comments from PeriGen. Hill-Rom (NYSE:HRC) said it paid an undisclosed amount for patient positioning device maker Tridien Medical and took out a $1.45 billion loan, and reportedly dealt its WatchChild fetal monitoring business to PeriGen. Chicago-based Hill-Rom said it picked up Anodyne Medical Device, which operates under the name Tridien Medical, […]
CytoSorbents enters Iran
CytoSorbents said today that it’s entering the Iranian market with its CytoSorb adsorber through an exclusive distribution agreement with Armaghan Salamat Kish Group. CytoSorb is designed to reduce excessive levels of inflammatory mediators in cardiac surgery and critically ill patients, the Monmouth Junction, N.J.-based company said. “We are pleased that Armaghan Salamat Kish will be working with us to […]
United Nations pledges to fight drug-resistant superbugs
(Reuters) – United Nations member countries pledged for the first time on Wednesday to take steps to tackle the threat posed by drug-resistant superbugs in a coordinated effort to curb the spread of infections by pathogens that defy antimicrobial medicines. The pledge during the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York followed years of warnings […]
410 Medical Innovations raises $2m for LifeFlow rapid infuser
410 Medical Innovations said in a regulatory filing today that it raised a funding round worth $2.2 million. Durham, N.C.-based 410 Medical developed the LifeFlow rapid infuser for critically ill patients needing urgent fluid delivery. The device is designed to allow front-line healthcare providers to deliver 1 liter of crystalloid fluid through a 20-gauge IV catheter in 5 minutes. Some […]
Philips, Qualcomm ink connected health deal
Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG) and Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) subsidiary Qualcomm Life said today they inked a collaborative, strategic technology deal aimed at developing connected health solutions. The collaborative deal will partner up Philips’ connected health informatics and regulated health care cloud data tech with Qualcomm Life’s medical-grade device connectivity and integration, the company said. “As the home […]
Swedish hospital behind Nobel prize criticised over medical scandal
(Reuters) – The reputation of the Karolinska Institute, one of Sweden’s top hospitals that awards the Nobel prize for medicine, has been badly damaged by allegations patients died as a result of a surgeon performing experimental operations without clearance, an official report said. Criticism of the Karolinska Institute, which had employed Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, […]
Getinge, GE Healthcare launch ‘hybrid OR’ flexible angiography combo
Getinge (PINK:GETI B) said yesterday it launched a new combined angiography system designed for hybrid operating rooms as a collaborative project with GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE). The system combines Getinge’s Maquet brand Magnus OR table with GE’s Discovery IGS 730 angiography system to allow for an expanded range of surgical procedures and interventions. “Hybrid ORs have become the […]