MDNews - Long Island

IMAGE COURTESY OF SHERWIN•WILLIAMS IMAGE COURTESY OF DIGNITANA BY STEVE BARRETT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT PAINT SHIELD T HE CDC E S TIM ATE S that one in 25 patients in a U.S. hospital on any given day has a healthcare-associated infection (HAI), and most HAIs take place outside the ICU. Sherwin-Williams has introduced Paint Shield, a paint that kills more than 99.9 percent of bacteria such as MRSA, E. coli, Staph and Enterobacter aerogenes after two hours of exposure on surfaces coated with the product. Paint Shield can be a valuable tool in healthcare organizations' efforts to limit the spread of bacteria that frequently cause HAIs, Sherwin-Williams says in a news release about the EPA-registered microbicidal paint. So long as surface integrity is maintained, Paint Shield can remain effective for as long as four years, according to the company, and its bacteria-killing properties remain after repeated contamination. ■ FENIX CONTINENCE RESTORATION SYSTEM AT T EM P T S T O G AU G E the incidence of fecal incontinence are stymied by unwillingness on the part of patients to divulge symptoms to healthcare providers. The reported incidence of 2–3 percent is considered low. Fecal incontinence can be socially debilitating, however, spurring a barrage of medical and surgical options. The FDA recently approved the Fenix Continence Restoration System for surgical treatment of the condition among patients who have not had success with, or are not candidates for, other approaches. The implant, made by Torax Medical Inc., is composed of a band of titanium beads that have magnetic cores. Leveraging that magnetic attraction, the system augments the anal sphincter and creates a barrier against unintended escape of fecal matter. The barrier is broken for voluntary passage of fecal matter but is promptly restored, according to Torax Medical. In a study of 35 adults, episodes of fecal incontinence fell by at least half for 62.9 percent of participants 12 months after the procedure. ■ DIGNICAP INTELLIGENT SCALP COOLING SYSTEM D I G NI TA N A I N C . H A S G A INED FDA approval for its DigniCap Intelligent Scalp Cooling System, designed to limit hair loss related to chemotherapy used in treating breast cancer. While hair loss from breast cancer treatment is not typically permanent, it is among the psychologically painful side effects. The DigniCap system lowers scalp temperature to restrict the fl ow of blood to the scalp. As a result, the amount of chemotherapy reaching hair cells is reduced, according to Dignitana. The system also slows hair cells' metabolism, and the process increases the chance that the cells will survive treatment. To enhance comfort, the silicone cap is initially at room temperature. The temperature drops as coolant circulates, but a sensor prevents the cap from falling below freezing. A clinical trial found use of the DigniCap allowed 70 percent of patients with early-stage breast cancer to retain at least half of their hair. ■ IMAGE COURTESY OF TORA X MEDICAL Spot a stroke F.A.S.T. Know the sudden signs. TIME TO CALL 911 TIME TO CALL 911 SPEECH DIFFICULTY SPEECH DIFFICULTY SPEECH DIFFICULTY SPEECH DIFFICULTY ARM WEAKNESS ARM WEAKNESS FACE DROOPING FACE DROOPING Body language can tell you all sorts of things. Like someone is having a stroke. strokeassociation.org IMAGE COURTESY OF SHERWIN•WILLIAMS IMAGE COURTESY OF DIGNITANA BY STEVE BARRETT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT PAINT SHIELD T HE CDC E S TIM ATE S that one in 25 patients in a U.S. hospital on any given day has a healthcare-associated infection (HAI), and most HAIs take place outside the ICU. Sherwin-Williams has introduced Paint Shield, a paint that kills more than 99.9 percent of bacteria such as MRSA, E. coli, Staph and Enterobacter aerogenes after two hours of exposure on surfaces coated with the product. Paint Shield can be a valuable tool in healthcare organizations' efforts to limit the spread of bacteria that frequently cause HAIs, Sherwin-Williams says in a news release about the EPA-registered microbicidal paint. So long as surface integrity is maintained, Paint Shield can remain effective for as long as four years, according to the company, and its bacteria-killing properties remain after repeated contamination. ■ FENIX CONTINENCE RESTORATION SYSTEM AT T EM P T S T O G AU G E the incidence of fecal incontinence are stymied by unwillingness on the part of patients to divulge symptoms to healthcare providers. The reported incidence of 2–3 percent is considered low. Fecal incontinence can be socially debilitating, however, spurring a barrage of medical and surgical options. The FDA recently approved the Fenix Continence Restoration System for surgical treatment of the condition among patients who have not had success with, or are not candidates for, other approaches. The implant, made by Torax Medical Inc., is composed of a band of titanium beads that have magnetic cores. Leveraging that magnetic attraction, the system augments the anal sphincter and creates a barrier against unintended escape of fecal matter. The barrier is broken for voluntary passage of fecal matter but is promptly restored, according to Torax Medical. In a study of 35 adults, episodes of fecal incontinence fell by at least half for 62.9 percent of participants 12 months after the procedure. ■ DIGNICAP INTELLIGENT SCALP COOLING SYSTEM D I G NI TA N A I N C . H A S G A INED FDA approval for its DigniCap Intelligent Scalp Cooling System, designed to limit hair loss related to chemotherapy used in treating breast cancer. While hair loss from breast cancer treatment is not typically permanent, it is among the psychologically painful side effects. The DigniCap system lowers scalp temperature to restrict the fl ow of blood to the scalp. As a result, the amount of chemotherapy reaching hair cells is reduced, according to Dignitana. The system also slows hair cells' metabolism, and the process increases the chance that the cells will survive treatment. To enhance comfort, the silicone cap is initially at room temperature. The temperature drops as coolant circulates, but a sensor prevents the cap from falling below freezing. A clinical trial found use of the DigniCap allowed 70 percent of patients with early-stage breast cancer to retain at least half of their hair. ■ IMAGE COURTESY OF TORA X MEDICAL CORE 1 4

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