by Admin
1. March 2007 19:40
Vascutek shunt approved for war zone use
A UK MEDICAL DEVICE designed to save wounded arms and legs from amputation has become the first of its kind to gain US marketing clearance by the Food and Drug Association (FDA). The Temporary Limb Salvage Shunt, from Scottish company Vascutek Ltd, will be used in war zones to reduce the number of arm and leg amputations among the US military.
The US is the first country to grant clearance for use of the device. “There was a critical need for this device,” said David Buckles, Chief of FDA’s peripheral device branch. “We think it has a chance of working very well and improving the chances of salvaging a limb that has suffered this sort of traumatic injury.”
The device connects the ends of a severed blood vessel, providing a shunt around the damaged area and restoring blood flow to the injured limb. It can be implanted on the battlefield and other remote areas to maintain blood flow to the injured limb while the patient is transported to a surgical facility. Vascutek Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terumo Corporation, is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of vascular devices for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. For more information, visit | SMC supports TachoSil® in wider surgical procedures The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has assessed TachoSil, a surgical patch from Nycomed designed to assist surgeons in controlling bleeding. SMC has advised NHS boards and Area Drug Therapeutic Committees to use TachoSil to improve secondary haemostasis in surgery where standard techniques are insufficient.
TachoSil is a collagen sponge coated with the human coagulation factors fibrinogen and thrombin. These natural components react upon contact with blood and other body fluids to form a clot that glues TachoSil to the tissue surface, producing a haemostatic seal.
“In my experience, achieving haemostasis quickly can make a considerable difference and provide a better outcome. We have already seen TachoSil bring these benefits to liver resection procedures. The advice from the Scottish Medicines Consortium is most welcome and will allow benefits in a wider range of equally challenging operations,” commented Professor James Garden, Regius Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Edinburgh.
TachoSil has an emerging profile as an effective haemostatic agent in liver and kidney surgery, and its broader indication allows use in a wider clinical setting. It can protect against post-operative bleeding complications and so reduce hospital stays. For more information, visit www.tachosil.com  | Oxoid improves its atmosphere generation system UK MICROBIOLOGY SPECIALIST Oxoid has released an improved product in its Atmosphere Generation Systems (AGS) range for clinical laboratories. AnaeroGen™ Compact now incorporates easy-to-use, self-seal W-Zip transparent pouches, designed for the incubation of microbiological culture plates. These convenient gas-tight pouches allow microbial growth to be observed at any time without disturbing the internal atmosphere, making them ideal for clinical laboratories engaged in culture of slower-growing anaerobic organisms.
The new AnaeroGen W-Zip Compact product comprises 10 Anaero- Gen sachets and 10 W-Zip pouches. “W-Zip pouches have an integral seal which makes closure easy,” said Fiona Macrae, clinical applications manager, Oxoid. “Once sealed, the pouches maintain the required conditions for anaerobic growth throughout the incubation period.”
AnaeroGen reacts with air to produce an atmosphere of <1% oxygen supplemented with carbon dioxide within 30 minutes, providing ideal conditions for growth of fastidious and obligate anaerobes. AnaeroGen enables prompt identification of cultured anaerobic micro-organisms and hence administration of therapies to aid patient recovery.
For further information about the Oxoid AGS range, visit www.oxoid.com. Oxoid is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader in serving science. | |
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