EndoNurse News

WallFlex Esophageal Stent Gets FDA OK, CE Mark

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:59:37 PDT

NATICK, Mass. and LONDON—Boston Scientific Corporation received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CE Mark approval to market its WallFlex® Fully Covered Esophageal Stent for the treatment of malignant esophageal strictures (obstructions) caused by tumors in patients with resectable or non-resectable esophageal cancer.The WallFlex® Partially ...(225 words)

Kimberly-Clark Launches HAI Education Program

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:58:29 PDT

DALLAS—Kimberly-Clark recently launched its HAI Education Program that delivers continuing education programs on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention to doctors and hospital staff and management.The program is part of a national infection awareness campaign for healthcare professionals called “Not on My Watch” and will provide the doctors and hospitals a toolkit ...(88 words)

OSHA Issues Directive to Address Flu Prevention for Healthcare Workers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:23 PDT

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued a compliance directive to ensure uniform procedures when conducting inspections to identify and minimize or eliminate high to very high risk occupational exposures to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus.The directive, which closely follows the Centers for ...(364 words)

VA, FDA, CDC Release Joint Endoscope-Processing Notice

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:46:41 PDT

Today the Food and Drug Administration issued a safety communication about the risks to patients if flexible endoscopes and their accessories are not processed properly, and recommends steps to reduce these risks. It is being issued jointly by the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department ...(1170 words)

Police Ask DA to Criminally Charge Endo Doc in Hepatitis-C Case

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:59:58 PDT

LAS VEGAS—Police in the case regarding last year’s Hepatitis-C outbreak in a Las Vegas endoscopy center are asking the district attorney involved to criminally charge facility owner Dr. Dipak Desai and some of his colleagues for neglect of patients, according to courthouse sources in a Las Vegas Sun article. This ...(124 words)

Reflux Due to Immune Reaction, Not Acute Acid Burn

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:57:59 PDT

DALLAS—Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in an animal study.Rather, gastroesophageal reflux spurs the esophageal cells to release chemicals called cytokines, which attract inflammatory ...(632 words)

What are the Guidelines for Processing STERIS Equipment?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:36:48 PDT

Question:I am employed as an endoscopy nurse at a freestanding endoscopy/surgery facility. For our Fujinon endoscopes, we manually clean first and then the AER, followed by alcohol flush. We follow the current SGNA guideline regarding scope reprocessing.There is a group within our facility who use Olympus endoscopes, clean manually, then ...(485 words)

Smith & Nephew Releases Hysteroscopic Morcellator

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:14:59 PDT

ANDOVER, Mass.—Smith Nephew's endoscopy division today announced the launch of the TRUCLEAR™ System, an operative hysteroscopy device, which is now widely available in the United States. The TRUCLEAR System enables a fast and thorough capture and removal of intrauterine polyps and fibroids. The system pairs the visualization capabilities of ...(304 words)

Many Colon- and Esophageal-Cancer Patients Won’t Travel Far for Care

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:56:20 PDT

Colon- and Esophageal-Cancer Patients Won’t Travel Far for CareColorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, Oncology Nursing News, travel, treatment, distance, patientsA recent study published in the journal Oncology Nursing News states that the distance patients need to travel is a strong factor in whether they’ll receive care at high-volume centers ...(210 words)

Colon-Cancer Tests for Colitis Patients May Lead to Excessive Treatment

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:49:26 PDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Screening for colon cancer in patients with chronic colitis has never been more sensitive. Advanced screening methods, which can find pre-cancer years before a cancerous condition develops, are leading physicians to question the standard treatment options—which include surgical removal of the entire colon, a procedure that can worsen ...(523 words)