OCT news

Acouple of nice articles on the ever evolving applications of OCT imaging technology.

http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2011/11/03/ajnr.A2740.abstract


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ccd.23385/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+disrupted+5+Nov+from+10-12+GMT+for+monthly+maintenance

Exciting new, and not so new, diagnostic tools

http://www.octnews.org/articles/3208854/renowned-interventional-cardiologists-discuss-pote/

The image is of Dr. Gus Pichard, of the Washington Hospital Center.  I assisted him during his first experience with the C7-XR OCT imaging device, which then was the development of LightLab Imaging Inc.  Now part of St. Jude Medical.

The current list of drug shortages

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm

Serious medication shortages spreading

"...And because most of these drugs have been off-patent for years, some drug companies don’t want to spend the money to upgrade lines to produce drugs with slim profit margins. 


Sometimes it is sort supply of raw material, sometime they have to shut down for quality reasons.  But letting people die because there is no profit in saving them?  I get it, but it the government is partly at fault because of the big pharma lobby getting their way potentially shutting down smaller companies who could develop an alternative

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/13/hospital-drug-shortages-threaten-patient-health-prove-costly/#ixzz1ahSCQEDe..."

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/13/hospital-drug-shortages-threaten-patient-health-prove-costly/

Patient safety versus costs

This study is really misleading.  They looked at a huge population and still didn't get statistical significance.  This is a pure money versus patient safety play.  The comment that a randomized trial is needed before they can draw any conclusions is right on.


http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/PCI/28877?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&eun=g409551d0r&userid=409551&email=ctklex@yahoo.com 

From Cardiobrief: A new vascular repair tool

This is a very cool new product.  If it works as advertised it could be a real breakthrough in vascular repair.


http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm274372.htm?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

ACC; Shame on you!

The ACC recommends three completely self-serving limitations regarding the proposed cuts to Medicare/Medicaid:

• Permanent reform of the Medicare physician payment system (The current Sustainable Growth Rate  (SGR) formula calls for massive cuts of 29.5 percent on Jan. 1, 2012.).
• Inclusion of medical liability reforms in any final committee recommendations.
• Avoidance of further medical imaging payment cuts as an offset in any final recommendations.

The single biggest  group expense in the Medicaid budget is?  Physician salaries.  What a surprise.  And the single biggest line-item expense?  the incredibly over-prescribed use of Imaging!  (CT, MRI, etc).  One of the highest paid subgroups of physicians?  What a coincidence, it is cardiologists.

This is the type of self-serving lobbying that is killing our economy.  I HATE the very existence of lobbyists.  I wish the Super Committee would propose a complete phase-out plan for the entire sector!

Having said all this I do agree in the proposed liability tort reform issue.  But expecting lawyers (did you know that 100% of congress have law degrees?) to limit litigation opportunities (can you say cha-ching) is akin to expecting the Cubs to win another world series.