In the News

Magnets in Cell Phones and Smart Watches May Affect Pacemakers, Other Implanted Medical Devices

Some consumer electronic devices with high field strength magnets, such as cell phones and smart watches, may cause certain implanted medical devices to switch to “magnet mode” and suspend normal operations until the magnet is moved away from the medical device.

Many implanted medical...

ACP Recommends Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography to Improve Diagnosis of Patients With Acute Dyspnoea

By Denise Baez

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has published new guidelines recommending point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS), in addition to the standard diagnostic pathway, when there is diagnostic uncertainty in patients with acute dyspnoea in emergency department or...

FDA Approves Higher Dosage of Naloxone Nasal Spray to Treat Opioid Overdose

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a higher dose of naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray to treat opioid overdose. The newly approved product delivers naloxone 8 mg into the nasal cavity. The FDA had previously approved naloxone 2 mg and 4 mg nasal spray products.

“Today...

AHA/ASA Publish Guidance on Treatment for Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) Stroke Council Leadership convened quickly to provide important guidance about cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and thrombocytopenia, together called thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), in patients who...

New Machine Learning-Based Tool to Help Physicians Determine Best Test for Chest Pain

By applying machine learning techniques to data from 2 large clinical trials, researchers have created a new digital decision-aiding tool, called ASSIST, that can identify which imaging test to pursue in patients who may have coronary artery disease (CAD).

The new tool, described in a...

CDC’s ACIP: Benefits of Janssen Vaccine Outweigh the Risks, Pause Lifted

By Denise Baez

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that the Janssen/J&J adenovirus vector coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine (Ad26COV2.S) continue to be used in people aged 18 years and older...

In-Ambulance Stroke Consults Reduces Critical Treatment Time for Patients

Prehospital stroke triaging using telestroke consultation in emergency medical services unit (TEMS) is feasible, and could result in shorter door-to-needle time and onset to groin times, according to a study published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases.

Patients...

Updated Evidence, Suggested Approach for Safe COVID-19 Vaccination in People With High-Risk Allergies

By Denise Baez

Severe allergic reactions to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines remain exceedingly rare, but researchers have updated guidance on safe vaccination approaches among people with a history of high-risk allergies.

Aleena Banerji, MD, Massachusetts General...

CDC's ACIP Extends Pause on Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Until More Data Becomes Available

By Denise Baez

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held an emergency meeting today, April 14, 2021, to consider the implications of new safety signals observed after administration of Janssen’s adenovirus vector...

FDA Launches Public Adverse Event Monitoring Dashboard for COVID-19 EUA Products

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an adverse event reporting system dashboard, available to the public, for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) products that have been issued emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the FDA.

The interactive web-based tool will allow for...