heart attacks
PA puts hospital quality data online
A Pennsylvania group has launched a new website offering quality reports that compare hospital performance and outcomes for the state. On the site, which includes data from all 162 primary acute... Read more...
GAO to study FDA's post-approval review process
Prompted by calls from Sen. Charles Grassley, the Government Accountability office has set plans to review the current method by which the FDA approves some drugs, including challenged medications... Read more...
More heart risks identified for Avandia
A new analysis of care for older diabetics has concluded that those treated with diabetes drug Avandia had a significantly raised risk of heart attack and death.This study follows the widely-read... Read more...
Avandia gets black-box warning
The following isn't a big shock, but it's still an important development--blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia will now carry a black-box warning. In addition to posting the warning on Avandia... Read more...
Joint Commission says hospitals lag on key quality measures
Hospitals may be boosting their performance, but they're still falling behind on most of the Joint Commission's key measures of quality, according to the group's annual report on quality and safety.... Read more...
Case study: NC program speeds heart attack care
In the past, up to 40 percent of North Carolina heart attack victims who needed clot-busting drugs or angioplasty weren't getting them--or got treated too late. However, over the past two years, a... Read more...
Schwarzenegger kills hospital performance disclosure bill
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has vetoed a bill which would have disclosed hospital infection and death rates to the public. While Schwarzenegger's own healthcare bill contains some... Read more...
Study: Smoking ban cut heart attacks
Here's a stat you may want to consider if your facility is mulling no-smoking rules. A new study by New York state health officials suggests that a 2003 ban on smoking in many public places cut the... Read more...
Study: Drug coated stents may be safe
In recent times, controversy has raged over whether drug-coated stents are safe to use for cardiac patients. The debate arises from recent studies suggesting that some stents can actually raise the... Read more...
Avandia slammed by more studies
Two more studies have come out which raise further questions about the safety of diabetes drug Avandia. The first of the two studies, which were published in The Journal of the American Medical... Read more...
