by Salynn Boyles, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today Cardiovascular event risk may increase in smokers who start using the cessation-assist drug varenicline (Chantix), according to findings from an observational study. The retrospective analysis of medical records for close to 57,000 new users of varenicline living in Ontario, Canada, showed a statistically significant 34% increased risk for [... read more]
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Another study shows that indwelling pleural catheters and talc pleurodesis appear equivalent in efficacy, each with its own pros and cons in hospital length of stay and adverse event risk. Malignant pleural effusions tend to recur increasingly frequently, such that repeated thoracentesis becomes an inviable option. For these patients, talc pleurodesis or placement of an [... read more]
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In February 2017, the FDA approved Immunexpress's SeptiCyte, a molecular test with an indication for diagnosing sepsis on the first day of ICU treatment. The test isn't widely available, but that may change soon: the manufacturer announced a partnership with Biocartis, whose rapid-PCR testing platform could bring SeptiCyte into use in ICUs throughout the developed [... read more]
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