MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A woman proclaimed dead following her drug overdose opened her eyes on the operating table as her body was being prepped for donor organ removal. The gruesome hospital mishap, which took place in 2009, was revealed when the Syracuse Post-Standard pushed for documents under the Freedom of Information Act.
The woman, Colleen Burns, committed suicide 16 months later. Her family has not sued the hospital, but New York state health officials issued a $6,000 fine and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid services chided the hospital for a lack of internal investigation.
The doctors apparently ignored nurse’s notes indicating that Burns was trying to breathe on her own, mistaking her deep coma for a brain-dead state, according to the Associated Press.
Vaginal birth may lead to pelvic organ prolapse
Vaginal birth may increase a woman’s risk of pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which pelvic organs drop and create pressure against the vaginal wall. This condition was seen less frequently in women who received C-sections during childbirth, according to researchers.
Study author Marsha Guess emphasized that there are many factors involved in childbirth and that the new study is not intended to encourage C-section over vaginal birth.
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Urine test can predict successful kidney transplant
A simple urine test could replace the traditional kidney biopsy needed to determine if a transplant will be successful or not, according to research from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Disease, part of the National Institutes of Health.
The urine test analyzes 3 biomarkers that give early warning and even predict if a donor kidney is going to be rejected by the transplant patient. This diagnostic could help lower the 10%-15% kidney rejection rate.
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Practice Fusion CEO champions primary care in a NY Times letter to the editor
Practice Fusion CEO Ryan Howard voiced his thoughts on healthcare reform in a letter to the New York Times, stating his support of primary care physicians as a cornerstone in healthcare reform. He emphasized simpler, less expensive technologies to make primary care physicians’ jobs easier.
The healthcare technology company executive chief called primary care the "front line" and wrote: "Reform cannot succeed without them, and they cannot succeed without better, cheaper technology."
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Eli Lilly calls CMS draft coverage "a setback" for Alzheimer’s patients
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued draft guidance for reimbursement of Eli Lilly’s beta-amyloid scan
for Alzheimer’s disease, offering less coverage than the company was hoping for. Lilly’s VP of tailored therapeutics Daniel Skovronsky called for CMS to re-evaluate the draft guidance in company remarks.
"CMS appears to be challenging the value of an adjunctive tool that can assist physicians in making a more informed diagnosis for patients with cognitive impairment. Restricting coverage could hinder a timely and accurate diagnosis," he said in the statement.
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