In Global News: Long-Term Fontan Circulation, a Shock Team, and the TMVR Learning Curve [1]
Patient Care and General Interest
The American Heart Association published a statement [3] advocating for a holistic care approach for patients with Fontan circulation, noting that these patients are living longer and their unique long-term care needs are being better understood [4].
A judge in the USA has ordered e-cigarette companies to submit their products for review by the US Food and Drug Administration [5] (FDA) by May 2020.
Drugs and Devices
Edwards Lifesciences as issued a warning related to the risk of a burst balloon during implantation of its Sapien 3 Ultra valve [6], emphasizing that the instructions for use should be closely followed to avoid this problem.
The US FDA has issued an alert that Edwards Lifesciences recalled the IntraClude intra-aortic occlusion device [7].
Targeted therapies for EGFR mutation–positive non–small cell lung cancer were added to the updated Essential Medicines List from the World Health Organization [8], but other lung cancer therapies were considered and rejected.
Research, Trials, and Funding
Investigators from Kansas City, Missouri, USA, report a relationship between institutional volume and outcomes of MitraClip placement [9] up to 50 procedures, but continued improvement was observed beyond this number.
A group at University of Utah Health in the USA is aiming to improve outcomes of refractory cardiogenic shock with a multidisciplinary “Shock Team,” [10] comprised of a cardiothoracic surgeon, a heart failure cardiologist, an interventional cardiologist, and an intensive care unit physician.