In Global News: Transplant Art, National Donor Day, and PCI After CABG

Patient Care and General Interest

The Donor Alliance observes National Donor Day on February 14th in the US, encouraging people to #StartTheConversation about being an organ donor with their families.

A patient who received a heart-lung transplant shares images of artwork that commemorates both her original and her transplanted organs.

Building on the popularity of the #10YearChallenge, these pictures on the Today Show website highlight successes for patients with congenital heart defects at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in Georgia, USA.

Drugs and Devices

Foldax, Inc, was granted investigational device exemption approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for an early feasibility study of their Tria heart valve, which is made from a material the company hopes will provide greater durability.

Research, Trials, and Funding

Researchers from West Virginia Heart and Vascular Institute in the USA find that the rate of emergent percutaneous coronary intervention after coronary artery bypass grafting is 2.6%, higher than was expected.

A new series from the British Medical Journal, NIHR Signals, aims to provide regular summaries of studies with particular relevance to clinical practice. Screening for atrial fibrillation is covered in this week’s summary.