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EC publishes guides on patient blood management
The European Commission (EC) has published guides intended to help hospitals and national authorities implement patient blood management (PBM) programs throughout the European Union.
The EC said its guide for hospitals is intended to help them implement PBM in a practical way, building on already recognized best practices.
The guide is the result of the combined expertise of clinicians and PBM professionals and the experience gathered from a 30-month pilot program implementing PBM in 5 European teaching hospitals.
The EC said this guide is relevant for all medical professionals and organizations involved in caring for patients suffering from anemia, blood loss, and medical conditions that might require transfusion.
The EC’s other PBM guide is intended for national authorities. It lists 10 “essential public health operations,” which encompass a range of activities authorities can engage in to aid the implementation of PBM in their health systems.
The essential public health operations (and examples of activities) are:
- Surveillance—eg, continuously collect patient-level data on anemia, transfusion, and outcomes to measure and guide the implementation of PBM as a standard of care
- Monitoring—eg, recommend the monitoring and flagging of too liberal blood component utilization to prevent health hazards
- Health protection—eg, develop information and education materials for clinicians, quality and safety managers, and hospital administrators
- Health promotion—eg, promote awareness of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia
- Disease prevention—eg, create a sense of urgency for PBM as a new evidence-based standard of care through professional training and education
- Governance—eg, create and institute a national PBM steering committee under the authority of the Ministry of Health
- Workforce, equipment, and facilities—eg, provide hospital facilities for PBM
- Organization and funding—eg, organize reallocation of funds and resources toward PBM
- Communication—eg, provide PBM webpage sections for patients, health professionals, and health administrators
- Research—eg, conduct PBM-related studies focusing on patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, etc.
The EC said the publication of their PBM guides is timely, as the journal Transfusion recently published results from a 5-year PBM program in Western Australia, which is the world’s largest PBM program to date. The program included 605,046 patients admitted to 4 major adult tertiary-care hospitals.
The use of blood products was reduced by 41% during the study period. The program also resulted in a 28% reduction in hospital mortality, a 15% reduction in the average hospital length of stay, a 21% decrease in hospital-acquired infections, and a 31% decrease in the incidence of heart attack or stroke. 
The European Commission (EC) has published guides intended to help hospitals and national authorities implement patient blood management (PBM) programs throughout the European Union.
The EC said its guide for hospitals is intended to help them implement PBM in a practical way, building on already recognized best practices.
The guide is the result of the combined expertise of clinicians and PBM professionals and the experience gathered from a 30-month pilot program implementing PBM in 5 European teaching hospitals.
The EC said this guide is relevant for all medical professionals and organizations involved in caring for patients suffering from anemia, blood loss, and medical conditions that might require transfusion.
The EC’s other PBM guide is intended for national authorities. It lists 10 “essential public health operations,” which encompass a range of activities authorities can engage in to aid the implementation of PBM in their health systems.
The essential public health operations (and examples of activities) are:
- Surveillance—eg, continuously collect patient-level data on anemia, transfusion, and outcomes to measure and guide the implementation of PBM as a standard of care
- Monitoring—eg, recommend the monitoring and flagging of too liberal blood component utilization to prevent health hazards
- Health protection—eg, develop information and education materials for clinicians, quality and safety managers, and hospital administrators
- Health promotion—eg, promote awareness of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia
- Disease prevention—eg, create a sense of urgency for PBM as a new evidence-based standard of care through professional training and education
- Governance—eg, create and institute a national PBM steering committee under the authority of the Ministry of Health
- Workforce, equipment, and facilities—eg, provide hospital facilities for PBM
- Organization and funding—eg, organize reallocation of funds and resources toward PBM
- Communication—eg, provide PBM webpage sections for patients, health professionals, and health administrators
- Research—eg, conduct PBM-related studies focusing on patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, etc.
The EC said the publication of their PBM guides is timely, as the journal Transfusion recently published results from a 5-year PBM program in Western Australia, which is the world’s largest PBM program to date. The program included 605,046 patients admitted to 4 major adult tertiary-care hospitals.
The use of blood products was reduced by 41% during the study period. The program also resulted in a 28% reduction in hospital mortality, a 15% reduction in the average hospital length of stay, a 21% decrease in hospital-acquired infections, and a 31% decrease in the incidence of heart attack or stroke.
The European Commission (EC) has published guides intended to help hospitals and national authorities implement patient blood management (PBM) programs throughout the European Union.
The EC said its guide for hospitals is intended to help them implement PBM in a practical way, building on already recognized best practices.
The guide is the result of the combined expertise of clinicians and PBM professionals and the experience gathered from a 30-month pilot program implementing PBM in 5 European teaching hospitals.
The EC said this guide is relevant for all medical professionals and organizations involved in caring for patients suffering from anemia, blood loss, and medical conditions that might require transfusion.
The EC’s other PBM guide is intended for national authorities. It lists 10 “essential public health operations,” which encompass a range of activities authorities can engage in to aid the implementation of PBM in their health systems.
The essential public health operations (and examples of activities) are:
- Surveillance—eg, continuously collect patient-level data on anemia, transfusion, and outcomes to measure and guide the implementation of PBM as a standard of care
- Monitoring—eg, recommend the monitoring and flagging of too liberal blood component utilization to prevent health hazards
- Health protection—eg, develop information and education materials for clinicians, quality and safety managers, and hospital administrators
- Health promotion—eg, promote awareness of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia
- Disease prevention—eg, create a sense of urgency for PBM as a new evidence-based standard of care through professional training and education
- Governance—eg, create and institute a national PBM steering committee under the authority of the Ministry of Health
- Workforce, equipment, and facilities—eg, provide hospital facilities for PBM
- Organization and funding—eg, organize reallocation of funds and resources toward PBM
- Communication—eg, provide PBM webpage sections for patients, health professionals, and health administrators
- Research—eg, conduct PBM-related studies focusing on patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, etc.
The EC said the publication of their PBM guides is timely, as the journal Transfusion recently published results from a 5-year PBM program in Western Australia, which is the world’s largest PBM program to date. The program included 605,046 patients admitted to 4 major adult tertiary-care hospitals.
The use of blood products was reduced by 41% during the study period. The program also resulted in a 28% reduction in hospital mortality, a 15% reduction in the average hospital length of stay, a 21% decrease in hospital-acquired infections, and a 31% decrease in the incidence of heart attack or stroke.
Transplantation and ECMO feature prominently at AATS
Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery will feature a course dedicated to exploring novel techniques in heart and lung transplant, mechanical circulatory support, and ECMO, among other things.
“The schedule is pretty self-explanatory,” according to course chair Matthew D. Bacchetta, MD, of Columbia University in New York City. “We’ll be getting really good reviews from some of the best centers around the world.”
Following the talks on heart transplants will be a session on lung transplants. This session will include discussions on primary graft dysfunction, techniques for performing transplantations in patients with pulmonary hypertension, and a talk on bioengineered lungs, the latter of which will be given by Harold C. Ott, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital.
“We’re going to get a very comprehensive update on the use of DCD lung transplantation, meaning donation after cardiac death, which is obviously a hot topic in our field right now,” explained Dr. Bacchetta. DCD will also be discussed in relation to heart transplants.
After lunch, mechanical circulatory support will take center-stage. Presentations will range from dealing with LVAD and BiVAD support, to avoiding and treating pump thrombosis, and techniques for troubleshooting implantable devices. Speakers include Emma Birks, MD, of the University of Louisville, Gert D. Victor Pretorius, MD, of the University of California in San Diego, and Nicholas G. Smedira, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, among others.
The course will close with a session on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Dr. Bacchetta will give a presentation on ECMO bridge to transplantation (BTT), while other talks will be about artificial lung development, ECMO transport, management of ambulation during ECMO, and Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP). The session, and the course, will end just before 4:00 PM.
Dr. Bacchetta did not report any financial disclosures relevant to this course.
Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery will feature a course dedicated to exploring novel techniques in heart and lung transplant, mechanical circulatory support, and ECMO, among other things.
“The schedule is pretty self-explanatory,” according to course chair Matthew D. Bacchetta, MD, of Columbia University in New York City. “We’ll be getting really good reviews from some of the best centers around the world.”
Following the talks on heart transplants will be a session on lung transplants. This session will include discussions on primary graft dysfunction, techniques for performing transplantations in patients with pulmonary hypertension, and a talk on bioengineered lungs, the latter of which will be given by Harold C. Ott, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital.
“We’re going to get a very comprehensive update on the use of DCD lung transplantation, meaning donation after cardiac death, which is obviously a hot topic in our field right now,” explained Dr. Bacchetta. DCD will also be discussed in relation to heart transplants.
After lunch, mechanical circulatory support will take center-stage. Presentations will range from dealing with LVAD and BiVAD support, to avoiding and treating pump thrombosis, and techniques for troubleshooting implantable devices. Speakers include Emma Birks, MD, of the University of Louisville, Gert D. Victor Pretorius, MD, of the University of California in San Diego, and Nicholas G. Smedira, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, among others.
The course will close with a session on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Dr. Bacchetta will give a presentation on ECMO bridge to transplantation (BTT), while other talks will be about artificial lung development, ECMO transport, management of ambulation during ECMO, and Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP). The session, and the course, will end just before 4:00 PM.
Dr. Bacchetta did not report any financial disclosures relevant to this course.
Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery will feature a course dedicated to exploring novel techniques in heart and lung transplant, mechanical circulatory support, and ECMO, among other things.
“The schedule is pretty self-explanatory,” according to course chair Matthew D. Bacchetta, MD, of Columbia University in New York City. “We’ll be getting really good reviews from some of the best centers around the world.”
Following the talks on heart transplants will be a session on lung transplants. This session will include discussions on primary graft dysfunction, techniques for performing transplantations in patients with pulmonary hypertension, and a talk on bioengineered lungs, the latter of which will be given by Harold C. Ott, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital.
“We’re going to get a very comprehensive update on the use of DCD lung transplantation, meaning donation after cardiac death, which is obviously a hot topic in our field right now,” explained Dr. Bacchetta. DCD will also be discussed in relation to heart transplants.
After lunch, mechanical circulatory support will take center-stage. Presentations will range from dealing with LVAD and BiVAD support, to avoiding and treating pump thrombosis, and techniques for troubleshooting implantable devices. Speakers include Emma Birks, MD, of the University of Louisville, Gert D. Victor Pretorius, MD, of the University of California in San Diego, and Nicholas G. Smedira, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, among others.
The course will close with a session on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Dr. Bacchetta will give a presentation on ECMO bridge to transplantation (BTT), while other talks will be about artificial lung development, ECMO transport, management of ambulation during ECMO, and Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP). The session, and the course, will end just before 4:00 PM.
Dr. Bacchetta did not report any financial disclosures relevant to this course.
AATS/AmSECT Welcome Reception
The AATS and AmSECT Welcome Reception will be held on Sunday, April 30, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall of the Hynes Convention Center. Admission to this event is complimentary to all registered attendees and exhibitors of both the AATS and AmSECT meetings.
Join the AATS and AmSECT, for the official opening to this year’s meeting. Visit with valued exhibitors and supporters in the Exhibition Hall, where you will learn cutting-edge techniques, and discover groundbreaking new products while networking with other attendees.
In celebration of the Centennial for AATS, many exhibits will include historic artifacts in the field of cardiothoracic surgery for all to see. The AATS and AmSECT Exhibition offers a number of exciting learning opportunities:
AATS Mini Theaters: “Deep Dive” presentations of top abstracts from this year’s Annual Meeting as well as product demonstrations by from industry partners.
AATS Learning Center: Innovative surgical procedures as well as webcasts from other AATS events such as the Mitral Conclave meeting.
AmSECT Poster Presentations
AATS Resident Poster CompetitionThe Perioperative/Team-Based Care Poster Competition
The AATS and AmSECT Welcome Reception will be held on Sunday, April 30, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall of the Hynes Convention Center. Admission to this event is complimentary to all registered attendees and exhibitors of both the AATS and AmSECT meetings.
Join the AATS and AmSECT, for the official opening to this year’s meeting. Visit with valued exhibitors and supporters in the Exhibition Hall, where you will learn cutting-edge techniques, and discover groundbreaking new products while networking with other attendees.
In celebration of the Centennial for AATS, many exhibits will include historic artifacts in the field of cardiothoracic surgery for all to see. The AATS and AmSECT Exhibition offers a number of exciting learning opportunities:
AATS Mini Theaters: “Deep Dive” presentations of top abstracts from this year’s Annual Meeting as well as product demonstrations by from industry partners.
AATS Learning Center: Innovative surgical procedures as well as webcasts from other AATS events such as the Mitral Conclave meeting.
AmSECT Poster Presentations
AATS Resident Poster CompetitionThe Perioperative/Team-Based Care Poster Competition
The AATS and AmSECT Welcome Reception will be held on Sunday, April 30, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall of the Hynes Convention Center. Admission to this event is complimentary to all registered attendees and exhibitors of both the AATS and AmSECT meetings.
Join the AATS and AmSECT, for the official opening to this year’s meeting. Visit with valued exhibitors and supporters in the Exhibition Hall, where you will learn cutting-edge techniques, and discover groundbreaking new products while networking with other attendees.
In celebration of the Centennial for AATS, many exhibits will include historic artifacts in the field of cardiothoracic surgery for all to see. The AATS and AmSECT Exhibition offers a number of exciting learning opportunities:
AATS Mini Theaters: “Deep Dive” presentations of top abstracts from this year’s Annual Meeting as well as product demonstrations by from industry partners.
AATS Learning Center: Innovative surgical procedures as well as webcasts from other AATS events such as the Mitral Conclave meeting.
AmSECT Poster Presentations
AATS Resident Poster CompetitionThe Perioperative/Team-Based Care Poster Competition
Focus on Thoracic Tumor Management
Managing thoracic tumors will be the focus of a multifaceted course set to take place in Saturday morning’s “General Thoracic Skills: Management of Thoracic Tumors in 2017” session.
“Thoracic surgical approaches and techniques are in constant evolution,” said course chair Virginia R. Litle, MD, of the Boston Medical Center. “Less invasive approaches are available for diagnosing and staging thoracic malignancies, for preoperative planning and avoidance, and for management of complications, [so] we will hear from experts in the field about preoperative planning techniques that are increasingly available.”
Of particular interest will be a brief talk on the use of social media and what boundaries exist, if any, between clinicians and their patients. Brendon M. Stiles, MD, of New York Presbyterian Hospital, will discuss “responsible social media use,” an increasingly relevant concern for their use in health care.
The following session will cover innovative approaches to esophageal replacement, minimally invasive esophagectomy in both prone and lateral orientations, and segmental lung resections, along with talks about helping patients quit smoking and enrolling patients in clinical trials. Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, will summarize 3-D printing for operative planning and Yolonda L. Colson, MD, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital, will outline experimental sentinel node mapping for non–small cell lung cancer.
After lunch, there will be an hour of presentations and discussion dedicated to imaging, which will include talks on the optimal surveillance imaging after stereotactic body radiation therapy, image-based therapy for ground glass opacities, and use of the hybrid operating room. The course’s final session will focus on rescue strategies for procedures such as esophagectomies, video and robot-assisted thoracic surgery, and postoperative air leaks in endobronchial valves.
“Management of clinical challenges such as creative esophageal replacement, vascular injuries during robotic surgery, and conduit revision after minimally invasive esophagectomies, will be of interest to thoracic surgeons,” Dr. Litle noted.
Managing thoracic tumors will be the focus of a multifaceted course set to take place in Saturday morning’s “General Thoracic Skills: Management of Thoracic Tumors in 2017” session.
“Thoracic surgical approaches and techniques are in constant evolution,” said course chair Virginia R. Litle, MD, of the Boston Medical Center. “Less invasive approaches are available for diagnosing and staging thoracic malignancies, for preoperative planning and avoidance, and for management of complications, [so] we will hear from experts in the field about preoperative planning techniques that are increasingly available.”
Of particular interest will be a brief talk on the use of social media and what boundaries exist, if any, between clinicians and their patients. Brendon M. Stiles, MD, of New York Presbyterian Hospital, will discuss “responsible social media use,” an increasingly relevant concern for their use in health care.
The following session will cover innovative approaches to esophageal replacement, minimally invasive esophagectomy in both prone and lateral orientations, and segmental lung resections, along with talks about helping patients quit smoking and enrolling patients in clinical trials. Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, will summarize 3-D printing for operative planning and Yolonda L. Colson, MD, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital, will outline experimental sentinel node mapping for non–small cell lung cancer.
After lunch, there will be an hour of presentations and discussion dedicated to imaging, which will include talks on the optimal surveillance imaging after stereotactic body radiation therapy, image-based therapy for ground glass opacities, and use of the hybrid operating room. The course’s final session will focus on rescue strategies for procedures such as esophagectomies, video and robot-assisted thoracic surgery, and postoperative air leaks in endobronchial valves.
“Management of clinical challenges such as creative esophageal replacement, vascular injuries during robotic surgery, and conduit revision after minimally invasive esophagectomies, will be of interest to thoracic surgeons,” Dr. Litle noted.
Managing thoracic tumors will be the focus of a multifaceted course set to take place in Saturday morning’s “General Thoracic Skills: Management of Thoracic Tumors in 2017” session.
“Thoracic surgical approaches and techniques are in constant evolution,” said course chair Virginia R. Litle, MD, of the Boston Medical Center. “Less invasive approaches are available for diagnosing and staging thoracic malignancies, for preoperative planning and avoidance, and for management of complications, [so] we will hear from experts in the field about preoperative planning techniques that are increasingly available.”
Of particular interest will be a brief talk on the use of social media and what boundaries exist, if any, between clinicians and their patients. Brendon M. Stiles, MD, of New York Presbyterian Hospital, will discuss “responsible social media use,” an increasingly relevant concern for their use in health care.
The following session will cover innovative approaches to esophageal replacement, minimally invasive esophagectomy in both prone and lateral orientations, and segmental lung resections, along with talks about helping patients quit smoking and enrolling patients in clinical trials. Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, will summarize 3-D printing for operative planning and Yolonda L. Colson, MD, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital, will outline experimental sentinel node mapping for non–small cell lung cancer.
After lunch, there will be an hour of presentations and discussion dedicated to imaging, which will include talks on the optimal surveillance imaging after stereotactic body radiation therapy, image-based therapy for ground glass opacities, and use of the hybrid operating room. The course’s final session will focus on rescue strategies for procedures such as esophagectomies, video and robot-assisted thoracic surgery, and postoperative air leaks in endobronchial valves.
“Management of clinical challenges such as creative esophageal replacement, vascular injuries during robotic surgery, and conduit revision after minimally invasive esophagectomies, will be of interest to thoracic surgeons,” Dr. Litle noted.
AmSECT Celebrates Collaboration
The American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT) is excited to collaborate with AATS for a shared educational program.
Open communication is critical for a high-functioning team, ultimately leading to the best in patient care. During the AmSECT International Conference and AATS Centennial, there will be great opportunities for perfusionists, surgeons, and health care professionals to collaborate, learn together, and make connections. There will be collaborative parallel sessions during the didactic portion of the program on Saturday and Sunday. The combined sessions on Saturday and the Postgraduate Symposia on Sunday include educational content on adult and congenital practice, ethics, transplant and mechanical assist, teamwork, and communication.
[[{"fid":"193783","view_mode":"medstat_image_full_text","attributes":{"height":"73","width":"303","class":"media-element file-medstat-image-full-text","data-delta":"1"},"fields":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][format]":"plain_text","field_file_image_credit[und][0][format]":"plain_text"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":""}}}]]AmSECT President Kenny Shann says that AmSECT and the AATS have worked together to eliminate silos of care and bring surgeons and perfusionists together to learn. “We believe that better teams will lead to better outcomes. In my career, learning alongside members of the team, regardless of their specific role, has strengthened my ability to care for patients. Co-learning allows team members to develop a shared mental model and facilitates interdisciplinary communication, which will ultimately result in better patient care.”
Perfusionists: continue the power of collaboration after the Conference by becoming an AmSECT member. In a profession that embraces innovation and ingenuity, our community of connected perfusionists helps you keep up with changing demands and emerging technologies. As a member of AmSECT, you will be supporting efforts to help you do your job better. The AmSECT community focuses on developing practice documents, protocols, best practices, and other value-add guidelines. When the members of AmSECT come together, there is greater potential to meet new opportunities and practice expansions with unbiased results.
Go online to www.amsect.org to learn more and join today.
The American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT) is excited to collaborate with AATS for a shared educational program.
Open communication is critical for a high-functioning team, ultimately leading to the best in patient care. During the AmSECT International Conference and AATS Centennial, there will be great opportunities for perfusionists, surgeons, and health care professionals to collaborate, learn together, and make connections. There will be collaborative parallel sessions during the didactic portion of the program on Saturday and Sunday. The combined sessions on Saturday and the Postgraduate Symposia on Sunday include educational content on adult and congenital practice, ethics, transplant and mechanical assist, teamwork, and communication.
[[{"fid":"193783","view_mode":"medstat_image_full_text","attributes":{"height":"73","width":"303","class":"media-element file-medstat-image-full-text","data-delta":"1"},"fields":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][format]":"plain_text","field_file_image_credit[und][0][format]":"plain_text"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":""}}}]]AmSECT President Kenny Shann says that AmSECT and the AATS have worked together to eliminate silos of care and bring surgeons and perfusionists together to learn. “We believe that better teams will lead to better outcomes. In my career, learning alongside members of the team, regardless of their specific role, has strengthened my ability to care for patients. Co-learning allows team members to develop a shared mental model and facilitates interdisciplinary communication, which will ultimately result in better patient care.”
Perfusionists: continue the power of collaboration after the Conference by becoming an AmSECT member. In a profession that embraces innovation and ingenuity, our community of connected perfusionists helps you keep up with changing demands and emerging technologies. As a member of AmSECT, you will be supporting efforts to help you do your job better. The AmSECT community focuses on developing practice documents, protocols, best practices, and other value-add guidelines. When the members of AmSECT come together, there is greater potential to meet new opportunities and practice expansions with unbiased results.
Go online to www.amsect.org to learn more and join today.
The American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT) is excited to collaborate with AATS for a shared educational program.
Open communication is critical for a high-functioning team, ultimately leading to the best in patient care. During the AmSECT International Conference and AATS Centennial, there will be great opportunities for perfusionists, surgeons, and health care professionals to collaborate, learn together, and make connections. There will be collaborative parallel sessions during the didactic portion of the program on Saturday and Sunday. The combined sessions on Saturday and the Postgraduate Symposia on Sunday include educational content on adult and congenital practice, ethics, transplant and mechanical assist, teamwork, and communication.
[[{"fid":"193783","view_mode":"medstat_image_full_text","attributes":{"height":"73","width":"303","class":"media-element file-medstat-image-full-text","data-delta":"1"},"fields":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_caption[und][0][format]":"plain_text","field_file_image_credit[und][0][format]":"plain_text"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medstat_image_full_text","field_file_image_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_credit[und][0][value]":""}}}]]AmSECT President Kenny Shann says that AmSECT and the AATS have worked together to eliminate silos of care and bring surgeons and perfusionists together to learn. “We believe that better teams will lead to better outcomes. In my career, learning alongside members of the team, regardless of their specific role, has strengthened my ability to care for patients. Co-learning allows team members to develop a shared mental model and facilitates interdisciplinary communication, which will ultimately result in better patient care.”
Perfusionists: continue the power of collaboration after the Conference by becoming an AmSECT member. In a profession that embraces innovation and ingenuity, our community of connected perfusionists helps you keep up with changing demands and emerging technologies. As a member of AmSECT, you will be supporting efforts to help you do your job better. The AmSECT community focuses on developing practice documents, protocols, best practices, and other value-add guidelines. When the members of AmSECT come together, there is greater potential to meet new opportunities and practice expansions with unbiased results.
Go online to www.amsect.org to learn more and join today.
Get the 2017 Mobile App
You can get the full AATS meeting experience right in the palm of your hand with the AATS Week Mobile App. Available through the iTunes store, Android Market, and AATS website, the app gives you access to every detail of the AATS Mitral Conclave and the AATS Centennial.
The app features:
- My Schedule and My Notes, which allow you to add your own personalization.
- Complete up-to-date schedule of what is taking place.
- Interactive Exhibit Floor.
- Exhibitors list, with company descriptions, contact information and booth location.
- Floor plans for the New York Hilton Midtown and Boston Hynes Convention Center.
- General meeting information.
You can get the full AATS meeting experience right in the palm of your hand with the AATS Week Mobile App. Available through the iTunes store, Android Market, and AATS website, the app gives you access to every detail of the AATS Mitral Conclave and the AATS Centennial.
The app features:
- My Schedule and My Notes, which allow you to add your own personalization.
- Complete up-to-date schedule of what is taking place.
- Interactive Exhibit Floor.
- Exhibitors list, with company descriptions, contact information and booth location.
- Floor plans for the New York Hilton Midtown and Boston Hynes Convention Center.
- General meeting information.
You can get the full AATS meeting experience right in the palm of your hand with the AATS Week Mobile App. Available through the iTunes store, Android Market, and AATS website, the app gives you access to every detail of the AATS Mitral Conclave and the AATS Centennial.
The app features:
- My Schedule and My Notes, which allow you to add your own personalization.
- Complete up-to-date schedule of what is taking place.
- Interactive Exhibit Floor.
- Exhibitors list, with company descriptions, contact information and booth location.
- Floor plans for the New York Hilton Midtown and Boston Hynes Convention Center.
- General meeting information.
VIDEO: Innovation key to gastroenterology’s future
Many of the disorders that gastroenterologists treat do not have very effective treatments, so there is lots of room for innovation, Sidhartha R. Sinha, MD, told attendees at last year’s AGA Tech Summit.
Gastroenterologists should get involved in innovation early because there is much to learn, Dr. Sinha of Stanford (Calif.) University advised in this video interview from the meeting. It can be a tough business, but if one focuses on the clinical need and considers the number of patients who could benefit from such advances, then innovation can be a rewarding path to pursue, he noted.
Innovation in gastroenterology will be front and center again at the 2017 AGA Tech Summit, which is sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology.
The video associated with this article is no longer available on this site. Please view all of our videos on the MDedge YouTube channel
Many of the disorders that gastroenterologists treat do not have very effective treatments, so there is lots of room for innovation, Sidhartha R. Sinha, MD, told attendees at last year’s AGA Tech Summit.
Gastroenterologists should get involved in innovation early because there is much to learn, Dr. Sinha of Stanford (Calif.) University advised in this video interview from the meeting. It can be a tough business, but if one focuses on the clinical need and considers the number of patients who could benefit from such advances, then innovation can be a rewarding path to pursue, he noted.
Innovation in gastroenterology will be front and center again at the 2017 AGA Tech Summit, which is sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology.
The video associated with this article is no longer available on this site. Please view all of our videos on the MDedge YouTube channel
Many of the disorders that gastroenterologists treat do not have very effective treatments, so there is lots of room for innovation, Sidhartha R. Sinha, MD, told attendees at last year’s AGA Tech Summit.
Gastroenterologists should get involved in innovation early because there is much to learn, Dr. Sinha of Stanford (Calif.) University advised in this video interview from the meeting. It can be a tough business, but if one focuses on the clinical need and considers the number of patients who could benefit from such advances, then innovation can be a rewarding path to pursue, he noted.
Innovation in gastroenterology will be front and center again at the 2017 AGA Tech Summit, which is sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology.
The video associated with this article is no longer available on this site. Please view all of our videos on the MDedge YouTube channel
FDA approves first home genetic health risk test
The Food and Drug Administration authorized 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service Genetic Health Risk (GHR) test, the first direct-to-consumer genetic screening test, according to a press release on Thursday, April 6.
FDA officials expect the product, which tests individuals for possible genetic predisposition for 10 diseases including Parkinson’s, late-onset Alzheimer’s, celiac disease, and hereditary hemochromatosis, to spur patients to consult with their physicians and make more informed lifestyle decisions.
“Consumers can now have direct access to certain genetic risk information,” said Jeffrey Shuren, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health in the release. “But it is important that people understand that genetic risk is just one piece of the bigger puzzle, it does not mean they will or won’t ultimately develop a disease.”
The FDA has exempted all further GHR tests developed by 23andMe from premarket review, noting future GHR tests developed by other makers, excluding those used for diagnostic purposes, may also achieve this exemption after submitting their first premarket review.
For the full details, see the original announcement.
[email protected]
On Twitter @EAZTweets
The Food and Drug Administration authorized 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service Genetic Health Risk (GHR) test, the first direct-to-consumer genetic screening test, according to a press release on Thursday, April 6.
FDA officials expect the product, which tests individuals for possible genetic predisposition for 10 diseases including Parkinson’s, late-onset Alzheimer’s, celiac disease, and hereditary hemochromatosis, to spur patients to consult with their physicians and make more informed lifestyle decisions.
“Consumers can now have direct access to certain genetic risk information,” said Jeffrey Shuren, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health in the release. “But it is important that people understand that genetic risk is just one piece of the bigger puzzle, it does not mean they will or won’t ultimately develop a disease.”
The FDA has exempted all further GHR tests developed by 23andMe from premarket review, noting future GHR tests developed by other makers, excluding those used for diagnostic purposes, may also achieve this exemption after submitting their first premarket review.
For the full details, see the original announcement.
[email protected]
On Twitter @EAZTweets
The Food and Drug Administration authorized 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service Genetic Health Risk (GHR) test, the first direct-to-consumer genetic screening test, according to a press release on Thursday, April 6.
FDA officials expect the product, which tests individuals for possible genetic predisposition for 10 diseases including Parkinson’s, late-onset Alzheimer’s, celiac disease, and hereditary hemochromatosis, to spur patients to consult with their physicians and make more informed lifestyle decisions.
“Consumers can now have direct access to certain genetic risk information,” said Jeffrey Shuren, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health in the release. “But it is important that people understand that genetic risk is just one piece of the bigger puzzle, it does not mean they will or won’t ultimately develop a disease.”
The FDA has exempted all further GHR tests developed by 23andMe from premarket review, noting future GHR tests developed by other makers, excluding those used for diagnostic purposes, may also achieve this exemption after submitting their first premarket review.
For the full details, see the original announcement.
[email protected]
On Twitter @EAZTweets
AATS Centennial Gala
This once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the 100th anniversary of AATS at the Centennial Gala will be held on Monday, May 1, at the famed Wang Theater at the Boch Center.
During this historic evening, the documentary film “In the Beginning” will be unveiled, which features an in-depth look at the formative years and challenges faced in cardiothoracic surgery and also includes interviews with Past Presidents and members of the Centennial Committee.
Buses depart from all meeting hotels (Sheraton, Marriott, and Westin) at 6:15 p.m.
This once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the 100th anniversary of AATS at the Centennial Gala will be held on Monday, May 1, at the famed Wang Theater at the Boch Center.
During this historic evening, the documentary film “In the Beginning” will be unveiled, which features an in-depth look at the formative years and challenges faced in cardiothoracic surgery and also includes interviews with Past Presidents and members of the Centennial Committee.
Buses depart from all meeting hotels (Sheraton, Marriott, and Westin) at 6:15 p.m.
This once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the 100th anniversary of AATS at the Centennial Gala will be held on Monday, May 1, at the famed Wang Theater at the Boch Center.
During this historic evening, the documentary film “In the Beginning” will be unveiled, which features an in-depth look at the formative years and challenges faced in cardiothoracic surgery and also includes interviews with Past Presidents and members of the Centennial Committee.
Buses depart from all meeting hotels (Sheraton, Marriott, and Westin) at 6:15 p.m.
A viral inducer of celiac disease?
A viral infection may be the culprit behind celiac disease, which is caused by an autoimmune response to dietary gluten. The findings are based on an engineered reovirus, which is normally benign. The researchers believe that a reovirus may disrupt intestinal immune homeostasis in susceptible individuals as a result of infection during childhood.
According to in vitro and mouse studies carried out by the researchers, one strain of reovirus suppresses peripheral regulatory T-cell conversion and promotes T helper 1 immune response at sites that normally induce tolerance to dietary antigens. The work appeared in the April issue of Science (2017;356:44-50).
The researchers decided to investigate reoviruses. They often infect humans, commonly in early childhood when gluten usually is first introduced. They also infect humans and mice similarly, allowing a more straightforward comparison between human and mouse studies than would be possible in other virus types.
The researchers created an engineered virus made from two reovirus strains, T1L and T3D, which naturally reassort in human hosts. T1L infects the intestine, while T3D does not. The new strain, T3D-RV, retains most of the characteristics of T3D but can also infect the intestine.
The researchers then conducted mouse studies and showed that both T1L and T3D-RV affect immune responses to dietary antigens at the inductive and effector sites of oral tolerance. However, the original T1L strain caused more changes in gene transcription, both in the number of genes and the intensity of transcription level. This suggested that T1L might uniquely alter immunogenic responses to dietary antigens.
A further test in mice showed that T1L also prompted a proinflammatory response in dendritic cells that take up ovalbumin, but T3D-RV did not. Furthermore, T1L interfered with induction of peripheral tolerance to oral ovalbumin, and T3D-RV did not.
With this data in hand, the researchers turned to human subjects. They compared 73 healthy controls to 160 patients with celiac disease who were on a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease patients had higher mean antireovirus antibody titers, though the result fell short of statistical significance (P = .06), and subjects with celiac disease were over-represented among subjects who had antireovirus titers above the median value.
“You can have two viruses of the same family infecting the intestine in the same way, inducing protective immunity, and being cleared, but only one sets the stage for disease. Finally, using these two viruses allows [us] to dissociate protective immunity from immunopathology. Only the virus that has the capacity to enter the site where dietary proteins are seen by the immune system can trigger disease,” said Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
Reovirus is unlikely to be the only, otherwise harmless, virus that could prompt wayward immune responses. The research points the way to the identification of viruses linked to celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases and could inform vaccine strategies to prevent such conditions.
The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago. No conflict of interest information was disclosed in the article.
A viral infection may be the culprit behind celiac disease, which is caused by an autoimmune response to dietary gluten. The findings are based on an engineered reovirus, which is normally benign. The researchers believe that a reovirus may disrupt intestinal immune homeostasis in susceptible individuals as a result of infection during childhood.
According to in vitro and mouse studies carried out by the researchers, one strain of reovirus suppresses peripheral regulatory T-cell conversion and promotes T helper 1 immune response at sites that normally induce tolerance to dietary antigens. The work appeared in the April issue of Science (2017;356:44-50).
The researchers decided to investigate reoviruses. They often infect humans, commonly in early childhood when gluten usually is first introduced. They also infect humans and mice similarly, allowing a more straightforward comparison between human and mouse studies than would be possible in other virus types.
The researchers created an engineered virus made from two reovirus strains, T1L and T3D, which naturally reassort in human hosts. T1L infects the intestine, while T3D does not. The new strain, T3D-RV, retains most of the characteristics of T3D but can also infect the intestine.
The researchers then conducted mouse studies and showed that both T1L and T3D-RV affect immune responses to dietary antigens at the inductive and effector sites of oral tolerance. However, the original T1L strain caused more changes in gene transcription, both in the number of genes and the intensity of transcription level. This suggested that T1L might uniquely alter immunogenic responses to dietary antigens.
A further test in mice showed that T1L also prompted a proinflammatory response in dendritic cells that take up ovalbumin, but T3D-RV did not. Furthermore, T1L interfered with induction of peripheral tolerance to oral ovalbumin, and T3D-RV did not.
With this data in hand, the researchers turned to human subjects. They compared 73 healthy controls to 160 patients with celiac disease who were on a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease patients had higher mean antireovirus antibody titers, though the result fell short of statistical significance (P = .06), and subjects with celiac disease were over-represented among subjects who had antireovirus titers above the median value.
“You can have two viruses of the same family infecting the intestine in the same way, inducing protective immunity, and being cleared, but only one sets the stage for disease. Finally, using these two viruses allows [us] to dissociate protective immunity from immunopathology. Only the virus that has the capacity to enter the site where dietary proteins are seen by the immune system can trigger disease,” said Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
Reovirus is unlikely to be the only, otherwise harmless, virus that could prompt wayward immune responses. The research points the way to the identification of viruses linked to celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases and could inform vaccine strategies to prevent such conditions.
The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago. No conflict of interest information was disclosed in the article.
A viral infection may be the culprit behind celiac disease, which is caused by an autoimmune response to dietary gluten. The findings are based on an engineered reovirus, which is normally benign. The researchers believe that a reovirus may disrupt intestinal immune homeostasis in susceptible individuals as a result of infection during childhood.
According to in vitro and mouse studies carried out by the researchers, one strain of reovirus suppresses peripheral regulatory T-cell conversion and promotes T helper 1 immune response at sites that normally induce tolerance to dietary antigens. The work appeared in the April issue of Science (2017;356:44-50).
The researchers decided to investigate reoviruses. They often infect humans, commonly in early childhood when gluten usually is first introduced. They also infect humans and mice similarly, allowing a more straightforward comparison between human and mouse studies than would be possible in other virus types.
The researchers created an engineered virus made from two reovirus strains, T1L and T3D, which naturally reassort in human hosts. T1L infects the intestine, while T3D does not. The new strain, T3D-RV, retains most of the characteristics of T3D but can also infect the intestine.
The researchers then conducted mouse studies and showed that both T1L and T3D-RV affect immune responses to dietary antigens at the inductive and effector sites of oral tolerance. However, the original T1L strain caused more changes in gene transcription, both in the number of genes and the intensity of transcription level. This suggested that T1L might uniquely alter immunogenic responses to dietary antigens.
A further test in mice showed that T1L also prompted a proinflammatory response in dendritic cells that take up ovalbumin, but T3D-RV did not. Furthermore, T1L interfered with induction of peripheral tolerance to oral ovalbumin, and T3D-RV did not.
With this data in hand, the researchers turned to human subjects. They compared 73 healthy controls to 160 patients with celiac disease who were on a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease patients had higher mean antireovirus antibody titers, though the result fell short of statistical significance (P = .06), and subjects with celiac disease were over-represented among subjects who had antireovirus titers above the median value.
“You can have two viruses of the same family infecting the intestine in the same way, inducing protective immunity, and being cleared, but only one sets the stage for disease. Finally, using these two viruses allows [us] to dissociate protective immunity from immunopathology. Only the virus that has the capacity to enter the site where dietary proteins are seen by the immune system can trigger disease,” said Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
Reovirus is unlikely to be the only, otherwise harmless, virus that could prompt wayward immune responses. The research points the way to the identification of viruses linked to celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases and could inform vaccine strategies to prevent such conditions.
The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago. No conflict of interest information was disclosed in the article.
FROM SCIENCE
Key clinical point: Celiac disease patients have high reovirus antibody titers.
Major finding: Researchers detail mechanistic pathway that could explain a viral link.
Data source: In vitro, human, and mouse observational studies.
Disclosures: The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago. No conflict of interest information was disclosed in the article.