MASSDEVICE ON CALL — During the June 5 debate for the Mass. Senate seat, Rep. Ed Markey (D) promised to introduce an amendment to the Affordable Care Act to reduce the medical device tax.
Markey said he would make up the losses with decreased tax breaks to oil companies. While he affirmed his support for healthcare reform during the debate, he reminded voters that he opposes the device tax.
The Boston Globe reported that Markey’s congressional office did send a 2009 letter to the newspaper calling on Nancy Pelosi – then speaker of the house – to remove the 2.3% excise tax on device companies from the legislation.
Popular early tracheostomies may not improve outcomes
The use of early tracheostomies – mechanical ventilation within the 1st 4 days of hospital admission – has been increasing so that now 1/3 of patients with prolonged ventilation receive tracheostomy. However, a recent study out of John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England, found that when compared to late tracheostomy the early procedure does not lead to better survival rates.
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From the groin to the wrist: A trend in artery unclogging procedures
Doctors are increasingly using entry points in the wrist’s radial artery to gain access to the heart during percutaneous coronary intervention. The other typical entry point is the femoral artery in the groin, but there is some evidence that the wrist entry point is linked to less bleeding. A study in the journal Circulation reviewed 3 million artery-opening procedures in 1,381 centers from 2007-2012 and found a 13-fold increase in wrist entry points during those 5 years.
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CareFusion unveils new surgical hair clippers that are waterproof, easier to disinfect
San Diego, Calif.-based medical device company CareFusion (NYSE:CFN) released a newly designed, surgical hair clipper for cleaning skin before surgery. The company is touting this new clipper as waterproof and compatible with clinical chemicals for easier cleaning and disinfection.
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Mass. promises more than $100M in life science grants
Bay State Governor Deval Patrick’s (D) administration pledged $95 million in life sciences funding to UMass Amherst and $5.5 million to the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute. The Amherst pledge will go toward the university’s new Life Science Laboratory, and the Pioneer Valley institute money will go toward a new Center of Innovation in Health Informatics & Technology.
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