Boston Scientific Corporation announced it has received U.S. FDA approval for the WATCHMAN FLX Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device.

The next-generation WATCHMAN FLX device is indicated to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who need an alternative to oral anticoagulation therapy by permanently closing off the left atrial appendage – the area of the heart where stroke-causing blood clots commonly form in NVAF. This technology, which is built upon the most studied and implanted LAAC device in the world, features a new, fully rounded design that offers physicians the ability to safely enter, and maneuver within, the left atrial appendage. It is the first LAAC device that can be fully recaptured, repositioned and redeployed for precise placement, and the new frame design allows for optimal device engagement with the tissue for long-term stability and a faster, more complete seal. The WATCHMAN FLX device is available in broader size options than the previous generation device and can treat a wider range of patient anatomies.

“We’ve been very pleased with the real-world clinical outcomes and positive physician feedback for the WATCHMAN FLX device in Europe and are excited to extend availability of this next-generation technology to patients and clinicians throughout the U.S.,” said Joe Fitzgerald, president, Interventional Cardiology, Boston Scientific. “Our WATCHMAN technology was the first FDA-approved LAAC device on the market and has been implanted in more than 100,000 patients worldwide, and now with the WATCHMAN FLX device, we are taking the clinical benefits of the technology to the next level for more patients while further differentiating our structural heart portfolio in the U.S.”

Positive 12-month results from the pivotal PINNACLE FLX study, which evaluated the performance of the WATCHMAN FLX device as an alternative to long-term non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and other OAC medications, were recently presented as a late-breaking clinical trial at Heart Rhythm Society 2020 Science. The study met its primary safety and efficacy endpoints with data demonstrating a low rate of major procedure-related safety events (0.5% at 7 days post procedure) and high rate of effective LAAC (100% with peri-device flow < 5mm at 12 months post procedure). Data also demonstrated a high implant success rate of 98.8%.

“Built upon the success of the WATCHMAN platform and thousands of patient-years of clinical research, the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX device is designed to offer increased ease of use for physicians and improved procedural outcomes for patients, including reduced complication risk and healing time,” said Dr. Ian Meredith, AM, global chief medical officer, Boston Scientific. “We’ve set the bar high and look forward to bringing these benefits to a wider range of U.S. patients with NVAF who need an alternative to the bleeding risk and lifestyle challenges associated with long-term use of blood thinners.”

Additional clinical research using the WATCHMAN FLX device for patients with NVAF will continue via enrollment in the OPTION trial – comparing the device to oral anticoagulants in patients who also undergo a cardiac ablation procedure – as well as in the CHAMPION-AF trial, which will study a broader OAC-eligible patient population in a head-to-head fashion to compare the device against NOACs.

The company announced CE Mark for the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX device in March 2019 and will immediately commence a limited launch of the device in the U.S.

About Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare.

When you put your loved one in a nursing home, you do so with the trust that they will be adequately taken care of and that their risk for slip and fall injuries will be minimized. But not all are very keen on leaving their parents to the care of other people because of the many horror stories they have heard about nursing homes. For those who have no other choice but to leave their elderly parent in senior care, according to a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer Slip and Fall, here is a list of the most common injuries of older adults living in senior care:

Bed Rail Injuries

Seniors are prone to falls. This is the reason why nursing homes often use bed rails to keep them from falling out of the bed. However, there may be instances when these bed rails malfunction and put the elderly in greater danger. Some of the common injuries associated with bedrail malfunction include suffocation, breathing problems, or worse, cardiac arrest. As such, nursing care staff must carefully monitor and assist the elderly when they need to get out of bed.

Bedsores

Seniors who often spend long periods lying down on their beds can suffer from skin damage. When prolonged, this can result in necrosis and infections. Some elderly people are prone to suffer from bedsores when they have diabetes. For those with worse symptoms, they will need to undergo surgical debridement to prevent the spread of the infection.

Fractures

Seniors have weak bones, and because of this, they have an increased risk of developing hip and neck fractures. These fractures are pretty common, and many of them have to undergo surgery for broken hips. Sadly, more of those aged 50 and above die from complications of their injuries. Some common complications include abnormalities in cardiac and pulmonary functions.

Concussions

Many elderly people suffer from brain injuries when they slip and fall, and often it will result in concussions. While these are not life-threatening, they can become problematic when they happen in patients with longstanding health problems.

Infections

The elderly have a weak immune system, and this predisposes them to suffer from diseases. In nursing homes, the spread is more pronounced because of the confined space. Seniors commonly suffer from pneumonia, skin infections, urinary tract infections (UTI), and influenza. For those with concomitant diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, diabetes mellitus (DM), and cardiovascular disease (CVD), these uncomplicated infections can have significant health risks.

Spinal Injuries

Another common complication of a fall is a spinal injury. When they suffer a terrible fall, they can damage their spinal cord, which can cause limitations in mobility and paralysis. When a senior gets paralyzed, they can suffer from bedsores and pneumonia, which could complicate their health status. Depending on the level of spinal cord injury, patients can have limb paralysis, bowel incontinence, or difficulty breathing. The higher the injury, the more body parts will be affected, and this can pose serious health issues.

Slip and Fall

As people age, the tendency to lose balance is pretty common, and this is one of the major reasons that adult children decide their parents should be in a nursing home. Unfortunately, being in a care home does not mean a slip and fall accident won’t happen there. While nursing homes usually have handrails and non-skid flooring to prevent slips and falls; accidents can still happen, especially when the nursing home staff is not paying much attention to their patients.

Knowing these common injuries in nursing homes can help you assess whether the senior home of your choice has the necessary safety and precautionary measures in place to prevent these kinds of accidents.

Whatever you’re working, one thing is sure — the amount of stress you’re dealing with is probably higher than it should be. Three out of four people feel stressed out once or more per month.

This is due to many factors, but our modern day-to-day is definitely the main culprit. Yet, we have to learn how to cope with stress, and it’s actually possible to co-live with it, as long as you put the work to build a mental barrier.

And of course, there are tactics and different tools that can help you feel calmer during the day. Things like essential oil diffuser bracelets like those from Kumi can help you keep calm when on the move, while a calendar app like Google Calendar can help you structure your day.

But there are also other things that you have to think about. Things like your health, the liquids you’re consuming, and the time you spend using technology all play a role in how stressed you feel.

Schedule regular exercise in your calendar.

Exercise is a must, especially if you’re spending the larger part of your day in a sitting position. More and more of us are working in an office, or even at home, and that’s bad for our physical and mental health.

That’s why it’s important to block time in your day to do some sort of exercise. It can be walking with a pace around your neighborhood, or even going for a one-hour gym session — it all depends on what you enjoy doing.

It’s best to schedule the time in the afternoon after work is done. It just acts like a buffer zone that you can use to let everything out that has built up during the day. Of course, if afternoons are busy, go for a morning session instead.

Cut down on the cups of coffee or green tea, as caffeine can make you more stressed.

How many cups of coffee are you gulping per day? Now that a coffee shop franchise can be found on any corner, it’s more tempting than ever to consume more caffeine than we need.

And that’s pretty bad. If you’re drinking more caffeine than you should, more often than not, you’re going to feel more tired during the day, you’ll be less productive, and you’ll certainly be more stressed.

Caffeine consumption should be moderated, and ideally, you should stick to one coffee in the morning. Best case scenario you should quit drinking coffee altogether. Allowing your body to return to its natural energy levels is the best way to stay productive and feel calm during the day.

Go out more often without your phone on you.

Technology is one of the passive stressors that we don’t realize, but are making us more stressed just by having them around us.

If you have your phone in you, you’ll be sure to check your emails, answer Slack messages, or just scroll mindlessly on Facebook or Instagram.

So, turn off your phone and go on a walk with a friend, or a family member and enjoy some time together. If you don’t feel like going out, just turn it off after work hours.

Retrieving medical records is an involved process. It often involves a lot of communication between different parties, as well as time and money. Because they often have a lot to take care of, lawyers will often outsource records retrieval. This lets them focus on the cataloguing and analysis of these documents once they get them. Here are some of the benefits of outsourcing medical records retrieval.

Outsourcing Boosts Productivity

Lawyers often have a lot to do, which means they do not have enough time to do everything they need to. Outsourcing the retrieval of medical records frees up some time and mental energy to focus on the most important thing – winning the case.

Outsourcing Provides More Complete Records

One of the biggest challenges to records retrieval is ensuring the records are as complete as possible. To make this happen, lawyers have to talk to a lot of people, follow up on records, and do so much more. Because there is so much to be done, a busy lawyer can miss one or two documents they need for their case.

The firms they outsource to hire a lot of people with one primary task. These people have a lot more time to follow up on different records and documents as well as talk to relevant people to find ones that are not easy to find. Because the people handling this task have a lot more time, they will often provide more complete records.

Outsourcing is Faster

Rather than tasking records retrieval to someone with hundreds of things to do, why not give the task to someone focused on only one thing? Waiting for a lawyer or paralegal to complete the tasks they have so they can focus on records retrieval wastes time. The firms you outsource to will usually do it faster than your law firm could.

It Minimizes Errors

A common mistake that occurs is where a document is deemed inadmissible because it was not retrieved following the right procedure. Such an error can be costly to both you and your client. Records retrieval firms have the resources to ensure no errors are made during the retrieval process and that you have the documents you need for your case in time. Remember that documents that do not arrive in time can impact your case significantly.

Outsourcing Saves Money

When you need a specific document found, you can task your paralegal and they will likely find it. But when you calculate the cost of that retrieval and the time spent on it, you might find the process too expensive. Outsourcing saves you money by ensuring it is done quickly and right the first time around.

Updates

When you task a paralegal who has lots of other things to do to retrieve a document, you have to call them regularly to find out if they have found it. A records retrieval company can provide you with regular updates via email or text so you know where they are on finding the documents you need.

In many cases, you want records retrieval to go faster, follow the right procedures, save you money and provide you with accurate documents. Outsourcing this process guarantees all this and more.

KT Corp., South Korea’s No. 2 mobile carrier, said Wednesday it has teamed up with the country’s top industrial robot maker and a major general hospital to develop advanced medical solutions.

Under the partnership with Asan Medical Center and Hyundai Robotics Co., KT will develop contactless medical services, such as remote diagnosis and real-time health care tracking using wearables.

KT will be responsible for developing the software for the services, which will incorporate fifth-generation (5G) networks and artificial intelligence, while Hyundai Robotics will focus on developing automated infrastructure with robots.

The collaboration comes a month after KT acquired a 10 percent stake in Hyundai Robotics, an affiliate of shipbuilding titan Hyundai Heavy Industries, to boost its presence in smart factory and service robot sectors.

Local carriers have recently been trying to expand their businesses into the health care industry.

SK Telecom Co., the country’s largest mobile carrier, established digital health care firm Invites Healthcare in March with local private equity firm Newlake Alliance Management.

The joint venture is currently developing ICT-based chronic disease management services that monitor patient data in real time.

LG Uplus Corp. signed an agreement last year with Eulji Foundation, which operates local hospitals, to develop hospital services that incorporate 5G technology.