In Global News: Bioengineered Blood Vessels, an Antibiotic Antiplatelet, and Veins Versus Arteries First in Lobectomy [1]
Patient Care and General Interest
The British Heart Foundation reports that the number of premature deaths related to cardiovascular disease has risen [3] in the UK for the first time in 50 years.
A federal judge in the US ruled against the Food and Drug Administration’s [4] (FDA) 2017 decision to allow e-cigarettes to remain on the commercial market prior to obtaining FDA approval, a move that was applauded by the associations that brought the suit [5].
Drugs and Devices
The US FDA has expanded the approved duration of support for 2 Impella heart pumps [6] from 6 to 14 days.
Xvivo Perfusion, Inc, was granted premarket approval by the US FDA for its ex vivo lung perfusion system [7], a move that expands the device’s previous humanitarian device exemption authorization.
The US FDA has approved dalteparin sodium for treating venous thromboembolism in children [8] as young as 1 month old.
Research, Trials, and Funding
The antiplatelet agent ticagrelor showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus and Enterococcus strains [9] that was not seen with other antiplatelet agents, say researchers from Liege, Belgium.
Researchers in China compared the levels of circulating tumor cells after either a vein-first or artery-first approach to lobectomy for lung cancer [10].
An iron boost on the day before cardiac surgery reduced the need for blood transfusion [11] in patients with anemia or iron deficiency, say researchers from Zurich, Switzerland.
Researchers in Durham, North Carolina, USA, grew human acellular vessels that were implanted in dialysis patients [12], and they speculate about potential future applications for these vessels, such as use during heart surgery.