In Global News: Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility, Geriatric Surgery Care Standards, and Studying Venom for Cardiac Protection

Patient Care and General Interest

The American College of Surgeons introduced a new quality improvement program, the Geriatric Surgery Verification Program, which outlines standards for geriatric surgery with the goal of continuously optimizing care for older adults.

Researchers from Arizona, USA, recommend that the US Preventive Services Task Force expand the eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening to include long-term tobacco quitters and individuals 50-54 years old.

Drugs and Devices

Maquet/Datascope has recalled its intra-aortic balloon pumps due to the potential for battery failure, says the US Food and Drug Administration.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended larotrectinib for the treatment of solid tumors with an NTRK mutation, regardless of the tissue where that tumor is found.

Research, Trials, and Funding

Patients with continuity of care following transcatheter procedures have better outcomes than those with fragmented care, say researchers from North Carolina, USA.

Researchers from Australia are studying a molecule from the venom of a spider that could potentially slow cardiac damage after a heart attack.

Exposure to phtalates, plasticizers that are used in medical devices ranging from blood storage bags and tubing circuits, can affect the electrical properties of rat hearts say researchers from Washington, DC, USA.