Cyber threats top the list of 2019 Health Technology Hazards

More than 300 crore compensation: A jury has awarded a paralyzed boy and his family $44.5 million in their medical negligence lawsuit against an Ohio laboratory. The Franklin County jury’s verdict against Athens Medical Laboratory Inc. was announced recently in the lawsuit filed by Bradley Metts and his parents, Danny Metts II, of Athens, and Nikki Metts, of Albany. The family sued in 2014 over an ear infection they contend was not properly diagnosed or treated, resulting in a brain infection and paralysis for the then-9-year-old Bradley.

Cyber threats top the list of ECRI Institute’s 2019 Health Technology Hazards

1. Cybersecurity is clearly a growing concern, says the ECRI Institute. In the past 18 months, the ECRI published 50 cybersecurity-related alerts and problem reports, a major increase over the prior period.
2. Mattresses and mattress covers that remain contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids after cleaning, posing an infection risk. Healthcare facilities must take care to use appropriate products and procedures for cleaning and disinfecting mattress covers, and they should regularly inspect mattresses and covers for signs of damage or contamination
3. Surgical sponges unintentionally left inside the patient after the surgical site is closed, which can lead to infection and other serious complications, including the need for another surgery. Manual counts, in which the surgical team verifies that all sponges are accounted for before concluding the procedure, are standard practice, but errors in counting can occur. Technologies that supplement the manual counting process are available and have been found to be effective when used correctly.
4. Improperly set alarms on ventilators, which put patients at risk for hypoxic brain injury and death. Properly set alarms can prevent such consequences. Deaths result from breathing circuit disconnections during which no alarm activated. Healthcare facilities need policies on setting user-adjustable ventilator alarms and protocols for verifying that the policies are being followed and that component connections are secure.
5. Mishandling flexible endoscopes after disinfection, which can cause infections in patients. Cleaning and disinfecting flexible endoscopes between uses can be challenging, and failure to adhere to a strict reprocessing protocol can lead to infections. Improper handling and storage practices can recontaminate previously disinfected scopes, heightening the risk of patient infections.
6. Confusing dose rate with flow rate, which can lead to infusion pump medication errors.
7. Improper customization of physiologic monitor alarm settings, which may result in missed alarms.
8. Injury risk from overhead patient lift systems.
9. Cleaning fluid seeping into electrical components, which can lead to equipment damage and fires.
10. Flawed battery charging systems and practices that can affect device operation.

Diet is a major contributor for the increased risk of hypertension in black compared to white Americans. The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are part of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, which looks at the incidence of stroke in approximately 30,000 individuals. The study is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health.

Traumatic head injury can have widespread effects in the brain, but now scientists can look in real time at how head injury affects thousands of individual cells and genes simultaneously in mice. This approach could lead to precise treatments for traumatic brain injury as per an NIH supported study

Approximately 36% of all US adults ate fast food on any given day during 2013 to 2016, according to data just released from the CDC.

Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect CMAAO
President Heart Care Foundation of India