Medical devices and equipment
Two more infections tied to heart surgery device; area total hits 24 | Philly.comTwo more heart-surgery patients in the Philadelphia area have tested positive for a worrisome, slow-growing bacteria that has been linked to a device called a heater-cooler. In Pennsylvania, 21 cases have been reported at three facilities, according to the state department of health.
Grilled about deadly superbug outbreaks, execs at scope maker Olympus take fifth | Kaiser Health News
Three senior executives at scope maker Olympus Corp., which is under federal investigation for its role in superbug outbreaks, repeatedly invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when questioned recently about internal company emails.
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmacies miss half of dangerous drug combinations | The Chicago TribuneIn the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, the Tribune tested 255 pharmacies to see how often stores would dispense dangerous drug pairs without warning patients. Fifty-two percent of the pharmacies sold the medications without mentioning the potential interaction, striking evidence of an industrywide failure that places millions of consumers at risk.
Hospitals alter routines to control drug spending | The Wall Street Journal
U.S. hospitals, reeling from rapidly rising drug prices, are taking aggressive steps to cut pharmaceutical spending. Hospital pharmacy executives say they hope to slow fast-rising costs by pulling supplies from hospital floors, switching to cheaper alternatives and more meticulously dispensing medications.
Safety, quality and clinical practice
Want to exercise more? Try screen time | The Wall Street JournalSmartphones have been blamed for everything from distracted driving to keeping people on the couch scrolling through squirrel videos. But the ubiquitous smartphone could just as easily increase physical activity if it pushes its owner's buttons in the right way.
