Search
Heater-Cooler Advisory: Update
Following the FDA safety communication regarding possible Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with 3T Heater-Cooler Systems, PHSA is notifying potentially exposed patients and health care providers. The information below is also available on the PHSA website: Cardiac Services BC and BC’s cardiac centres are notifying potentially exposed patients and all health care providers of a rare infection associated with heater-cooler units used during cardiothoracic surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients are being...
Type: Post
Development of universal flu shot: two articles
Canadian researchers developing one-time flu vaccine from CTVNews.ca: Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. are developing a flu vaccine that would be administered only once, eliminating the need for the annual shot. Dr. Matthew Miller, an assistant professor of biochemistry at McMaster, is part of the team of researchers developing the universal vaccine. The basis of its success, he said, is that it targets an unchanging part of the...
Type: Post
FDA Safety Communication Update: Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with 3T Heater-Cooler Systems
Update Oct 24th: You can also read Health Canada’s recall alert on this. The FDA has updated its June 1, 2016 Safety Communication to provide new information about Mycobacterium chimaera (M. chimaera) infections associated with the use of the LivaNova PLC (formerly Sorin Group Deutschland GmbH) Stӧckert 3T Heater-Cooler in U.S. patients who have undergone cardiothoracic surgeries. This communication also contains updated recommendations to help prevent the spread of infection...
Type: Post
Probiotics: Roadblocks to Research
From The Boston Globe: Probiotics are everywhere these days, in pills and powders marketed as super supplements. Probiotics are said to improve digestive and immune health. They’re touted as potential treatments for conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to eczema to tooth decay. Scientific evidence, however, does not necessarily support those claims. Studies in rodents and small groups of humans point to possible health benefits of consuming probiotics. But there...
Type: Post
Summary of Assessment of Public Health Risk to Canada Associated with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
From the Public Health Agency of Canada, updated January 15, 2016 The risk assessment is reviewed on a regular basis and updated as required. Risk Assessment The public health risk posed by MERS-CoV to Canada is considered low based on available information at this time. The risk may change as new information arises. MERS-CoV is considered a zoonotic virus that can lead to secondary infections among people. Many community-acquired infections are thought...
Type: Post
Reminder: the 4 moments for hand hygiene
Do your staff know the four moments for hand hygiene? .This may be easier to remember as “Clean your hands before and after contact with the patient or patient environment.” Two important points: 1. Although the provincial hand hygiene compliance rate is an impressive 88% after patient/environment contact, the before rate is only 78% – which is below the target rate of 80%. Remind your staff, cleaning their hands BEFORE contact with the...
Type: Post