In Global News: US National Coverage Policy for TAVR, UK Lung Cancer Guideline Update, and Steroids and AKI After CABG

Patient Care and General Interest

The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have released their proposed update to the national coverage policy for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, in which they did not increase volume requirements.

An updated guideline for lung cancer diagnosis and management from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence was published in the British Medical Journal.

Research, Trials, and Funding

A randomized trial conducted in 18 countries and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that steroid administration during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) does not reduce the risk of acute kidney injury.

Researchers in Pennsylvania, USA, have applied a machine learning algorithm to low-dose computed tomography scans try to reduce false positives in lung cancer screening.

Motion-correcting software combined with fetal magnetic resonance imaging was used to generate improved 3D images for diagnosing congenital heart disease, report researchers from London, UK, in the Lancet.

Researchers in Milan, Italy, report results from the randomized MYRIAD trial, finding that patients undergoing CABG have equivalent survival whether they receive intravenous or inhaled anesthesia.

A population-based prospective study of more than 50,000 individuals in northeastern Iran found an association between the preference for drinking one’s tea “very hot” and esophageal cancer risk, say researchers in the International Journal of Cancer.