Ramifications way beyond financial loss and breach of privacy? Equip Global proudly presents Cyber Security for Healthcare – a live online event from 6 – 9 October 2020. This masterclass will emphasize developing effective policies and strategies to counter cyber threats of various kinds, developing an effective security architecture and infrastructure, and improving cyber and cyber physical security risk management
Learning outcome

• Understand the different types of cyber security breaches that can occur including browser-based attacks, phishing attacks, malware, ransomware attacks, data breaches, DDOs attacks amongst others and how you can combat them
• Improve Security Architecture Design & Implementation
• Gain insights on cyber security for connected medical devices
• Learn how to ensure your security infrastructure is strengthened

Join us for our 4-day case-study-driven and practical cyber security for healthcare masterclass. Learn from the expert trainer how you can develop a fool proof and effective cyber security strategy that protects your organization, operations, your patients’ privacy and public security whilst ensuring your healthcare services and patients’ health are not compromised.
Equip Global
Equip Global provides business executives globally with practical and tailored industry conferences, in-house and corporate training courses that focus on offering solutions that have met the concrete test of application and have proven to improve an organization’s productivity and performance. Equip Global conferences and training courses will equip you with practical knowledge and valuable connections that drive tangible and sustainable bottom-line results in your business.
Event website:https://www.equip-global.com/cyber-security-for-healthcare-masterclass-live-online

Philips and B. Braun,  a player in regional anesthesia and pain management, recently announced the launch of Onvision, a breakthrough ultrasound guidance solution for real-time needle tip tracking in regional anesthesia. Available on the latest version of the B. Braun and Philips Xperius ultrasound system, Onvision gives anesthesiologists the confidence to accurately position the needle tip inside the body. The introduction is part of a multi-year strategic alliance between Philips and B. Braun to innovate in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, a rapidly growing alternative to general anesthesia.
Accurate needle placement is critical to the success of regional anesthesia procedures, such as peripheral nerve blocks, both in terms of effective pain relief and the avoidance of unintended nerve and vessel punctures or collateral damage to surrounding tissue. While real-time ultrasound imaging has proved to be a valuable tool for needle guidance, failure to optimally visualize the needle tip remains a challenge for both novice and experienced anesthetists. Currently, 10-20% of all peripheral nerve blocks are ineffective on the first attempt. By simplifying alignment between the needle and ultrasound probe, Onvision reduces the effort needed to interpret the ultrasound image. This allows the anesthesiologist to more confidently guide the tip of the needle to its target.
“Regional anesthesia is a rapidly growing alternative to general anesthesia and has the potential to improve patient outcomes as well as increase workflow efficiency in the hospital,” said Bert van Meurs, Chief Business Leader, Image Guided Therapy at Royal Philips. “By combining B. Braun’s expertise in needle design with Philips’ capabilities in real-time image guidance, we’ve created a solution to one of the biggest challenges in regional anesthesia – accurate positioning of the needle tip in the body. Our alliance with B. Braun is a strong example of our commitment to partner with industry leaders to grow our footprint in the therapy market.”
“Our customers want intuitive solutions that allow them to focus on the patient rather than the technology, so they can achieve the best outcomes. As demand for regional anesthesia grows, improved efficiency can also help reduce the pressure of an increasing workload,” said Dr. Meinrad Lugan, Member of the Board for the Hospital Care Division at B. Braun. “Onvision is a perfect example of what can be achieved through shared expertise to meet the evolving needs of our customers, bringing regional anesthesia to more patients in more hospitals worldwide.”
Together, B. Braun’s Stimuplex Onvision needles and Philips’ Onvision needle tip tracking technology indicate the position of the needle tip in relation to the ultrasound viewing plane to an accuracy of better than 3mm. A sensitive micro-sensor placed on the needle, combined with advanced signal processing and visualization techniques on the Xperius system, indicate the real-time location of the needle tip in relation to the 2D ultrasound viewing plane. The solution provides greater flexibility in needle trajectory and can reduce procedure times. The increased confidence and predictability offered by Xperius and Onvision will empower more anesthesiologists to embrace regional anesthesia as a viable and effective alternative to general anesthesia.
Regional anesthesia or analgesia involves the injection of an anesthetic in the proximity of a nerve, targeting areas of a patient’s body that are subject to surgical intervention. Regional anesthesia can have significant advantages over general anesthesia for both patients and hospitals. Patients undergoing regional anesthesia typically benefit from reduced opioid consumption and fewer side-effects, such as nausea. Moreover, regional anesthesia may lead to faster post-surgical recovery, allowing patients to ambulate or leave the hospital sooner, which benefits both patients and hospitals.
Together, Xperius and Onvision form an integrated point-of-care solution for supporting current and future needs in regional anesthesia. They are co-branded and sold via B. Braun’s global sales network, with Philips providing installation and service. Xperius is part of Philips’ portfolio of point-of-care ultrasound systems, which offers clinicians the ability to diagnose and care for their patients in any work environment. www.philips.com

Women have unique risk factors for heart disease that need to be taken into account in prevention and treatment strategies, according to a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who led a team tasked with updating recommendations on women and cardiovascular disease for the American College of Cardiology.
Traditionally, doctors have treated men and women as the same when it comes to heart disease, but the director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Center at Cleveland Clinic, Leslie Cho, M.D., says that it is time to start thinking differently.
She explains: “For years, we’ve thought about men and women as having the exact same risk factors, namely, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, smoking, diabetes and family history. However, while heart disease is the number-one killer and most prevalent disease in women, women actually have very low risk in terms of the traditional risk factors.
“However, some conditions specific to women, such as endometriosis, have been found to raise the risk of developing coronary artery disease – the leading cause of heart attacks – by 400% in women under age 40.”
In compiling the updated recommendations, Dr. Cho and her team reviewed diseases that are more prevalent in women; sex-related differences in traditional risk factors; and risk factors that only women experience, such as those related to pregnancy.
Risks unique to women
In terms of pregnancy-related conditions, they noted that high blood pressure during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, preterm birth and miscarriages all increase a woman’s risk of developing heart disease. Identification of pregnancy-related conditions is important, says Dr Cho, as it can help identify younger women, with low traditional-risk scores, to allow for earlier monitoring of cardiometabolic factors and management.
Hormonal conditions specific to women have also been associated with increased heart risk. One of these is premature menopause, defined as menopause before the age of 40.
Dr Cho explains: “Estrogen offers women some protection from heart disease until after menopause, when estrogen levels drop. This is why the average age of for a heart attack in women is later, at 70, as opposed to 66 in men.”
Another sex-specific risk factor is a hormonal condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (POCS), found in one in 10 women. This is associated with cardiometabolic factors, which, in turn, are associated with increased heart disease risk. The cardiometabolic factors associated with POCS include abdominal obesity, abnormal glucose control and diabetes, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal amounts of fats – such as cholesterol – in the blood, known as dyslipidemia.
Differences in traditional risks
Regarding sex-related differences in the traditional risk-factor category, it has been found that hypertension and diabetes are strong risk factors in women. Another risk factor, high blood pressure, is more common in women over the age of 50 than in men.
Woman are also more likely than men to experience depression or mental health issues, such as anxiety and chronic emotional stress, that can have an impact on their heart health.
“We really should be treating not just the blood pressure number, or the cholesterol number, but rather treating the whole patient, including their mental health, to have a good cardiovascular outcome,” says Dr. Cho.
She adds that studies have also shown sex differences in response to treatments, and doctors need to take these into account.
Common prevention strategies
Despite the different sex-related risks, Dr. Cho points out that there are common areas where either sex can lower their risk for heart disease by making changes to their lifestyles. Among these she includes avoiding smoking, getting regular exercise – at least a 30-minute walk daily – and maintaining normal weight, blood pressure, blood lipid and blood sugar levels. She recommends a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish, and low in animal products, simple carbohydrates and processed foods.