News
Canadian Blood Services warns of imminent shortage of take-home immune globulin drug
Canadian Blood Services is warning of an imminent shortage of the take-home version of immune globulin (IG), one of the most widely used medications made from human plasma.
IG helps to strengthen the immune systems of patients with a variety of genetic conditions that weaken the body’s natural defenses against viruses and bacteria.
Genetic testing underutilized in ovarian, breast cancer
Despite the recommendations of multiple guidelines to perform genetic testing of individuals who have breast cancer or ovarian cancer less than one-quarter of women diagnosed with breast cancer in a recent study and fewer than one-third of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer underwent any genetic testing. Yet when tested for all genes that current guidelines designate as associated with their cancer type, nearly 8% of patients with breast cancer and almost 15% of patients with ovarian cancer had pathogenic variants, information which could be used to guide their therapy.
Potentially deadly drug-resistant 'fungal superbug' emerging in Canada
Doctors in Canada are being warned about the emergence of an extremely contagious pathogen described as a “fungal superbug” that is resistant to most medications and can be deadly for patients who are already sick.
AHA publishes playbook to reduce burnout in healthcare
A major healthcare association group has released a playbook to help reduce the prevalence of burnout in the industry. The American Hospital Association has outlined a seven-step approach specifically tailored to health system leaders to address burnout, which is a long-term stress reaction caused by a work environment, according to the association.
Go with the flow
Keeping modern biological labs contaminant free is a duel challenge of controlling air flow and filtration. Much of modern biopharma research is dependent on a reliably contaminant free environment.
Cell and gene therapy are two incredibly promising areas of research which rely on tightly controlled and validated cleanroom facilities. These laboratories are often filled with state-of-the-art clean air technology in the form of class II microbiological safety cabinets and isolators which ensuring the air within the work space is clean of any particles.
Possible third case of measles in Saint John tests negative
After a brief scare, the number of measles cases in the Saint John area remains at two.
New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health confirmed on Friday that the potential third case has been ruled a negative.
The top 25 medical lab tests around the world
A recent study can help governments understand which diagnostic laboratory tests are most important when developing universal health coverage systems.
Researchers from five countries found that diagnostic laboratory tests are used similarly around the world, even though the institutions they studied differed in terms of poverty levels, health systems and prevalence of disease.
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