Prevent sleep-related traffic accidents! Screen for sleep apnea!

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), a sleep-related breathing disorder, is not only an independent risk factor for hypertension, but it also raises the risk of both traffic accidents and cardiovascular mortality.
Screen for OSAS with Meditech apneABP, an ambulatory blood pressure monitor with OXY (SpO₂) module, which can be used for early recognition in primary care.

Meditech apneABP features and benefits

–         full 24-hour blood pressure profile for diagnosing hypertension
–         full SpO2  profile for diagnosing apneic episodes
–         full actigraphy profile for monitoring physical activity levels
–         pulse waveforms for an insight on artery conditions

In around 30% of all patients undergo a polysomnography, no apnea is detected. Meditech apneABP is a reliable and inexpensive tool to screen for apnea in your hypertensive patients in primary care.
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Medtronic has received CE Mark for Micra™ AV Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), the world’s smallest pacemaker with atrioventricular (AV) synchrony. Micra AV is indicated for the treatment of patients with AV block, a condition in which the electrical signals between the chambers of the heart (the atria and the ventricle) are impaired. Medtronic now offers the only CE Mark approved leadless pacemaker portfolio. First implants of Micra AV recently occurred in Spain by Dr. José Ramón González Juanatey at the University Hospital in Santiago de Compostela.
“This new device not only stimulates but is also able to recognize the electrical activity of the whole heart. Now we can extend this wireless technology to our patients who require dual chamber stimulation and in whom traditional stimulation cannot be performed or is conditioned by previous infections, occlusions of the vessels of the upper extremities, etc.,” said Dr. Juanatey, director, Cardiology and Intensive Cardiac Care Department, full professor of Cardiology, University Hospital, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (past-president, Spanish Society of Cardiology). Historically, patients with AV block have been treated with traditional dual-chamber pacemakers which are implanted in the upper chest, under the skin below the collar bone, and connected to the heart using thin wires called “leads”. Identical in size and shape to the original Micra TPS, Micra AV has several additional internal atrial sensing algorithms which detect cardiac movement, allowing the device to adjust pacing in the ventricle to coordinate with the atrium, providing “AV synchronous” pacing therapy to patients with AV block.
Unlike traditional pacemakers, Micra does not require leads or a surgical “pocket” under the skin, so potential sources of complications related to leads and pockets are eliminated – as are any visible signs of the device.
For more information, visit: www.medtronic.com
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The CIRS Dynamic Cardiac Phantom, Model 008C, is a precision instrument that simulates the realistic motion of an average human heart. It provides known, accurate and repeatable 3D motion of a solid heart model inside the tissue-equivalent thorax phantom. The phantom is designed as a comprehensive image analysis tool for calcification detection, iodine contrast resolution and ECG signal gating. The cardiac phantom is constructed from a tissue equivalent thorax body, moving rod with a solid tissue equivalent heart inside, motion actuator, motion controller and CIRS Motion Control software. The 3D movement of the heart is controlled by CIRS Motion Control software, which is installed on a Windows PC or Laptop. The software comes loaded with three basic motion profiles that are specific to different anatomical parts of the heart and one correlated ECG profile. The software can overlay respiratory motion with cardiac motion to account for total displacement of the heart. The respiratory motion can mimic either breath hold or continuous breathing of a patient. With repeatable and controllable 3D heart motion, this tool could help define protocols in the cardiac field for better and safer patient imaging. The Cardiac Dynamic Phantom joins CIRS’ existing lineup of dynamic phantoms, which includes the Dynamic Thorax Phantom (Model 008A), MRI-LINAC Dynamic Phantom (Model 008M), Dynamic Pelvis Phantom (Model 008P) and Dynamic Platform (Model 008PL). Each of these products is operated using CIRS Motion Control Software.
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Advances in technology, and the constant competitive necessity to upgrade workforce skills mean that employees need to be trained continuously. For that reason, Siemens Healthineers expanded its premium subscription for workforce education management, PEPconnections, with a Virtual Library, which provides customers with the ability to add their own learning content to their group. With PEPconnections institutions can easily manage their workforce education, design learning plans, manage, assign and administer online training and professional development activities for employee groups in hospitals and laboratories. Importantly, it does not matter whether the learning activities were developed by Siemens Healthineers, the institution itself, or any other source. Customers now can easily upload their own content as PDFs, videos, documents or links to the Virtual Library. Following upload, items in the Virtual Library are available for general usage or can be assigned to group members through a new or existing learning plan. PEPconnections allows subscribers to manage staff competency and skills – supporting them in transforming care delivery for enhanced patient outcomes. Institutions can benefit from Siemens Healthineers trainings but also have the ability to individualize their learning experience and upload their own content. PEPconnections provides a connection to knowledge in digitalizing healthcare that is designed to increase staff competency, efficiency, and productivity.
The basis is PEPconnect – the industry’s first personalized education and performance experience for healthcare professionals worldwide. It provides medical professionals with customized training and professional development opportunities, with learning activities in topics on laboratory diagnostics, medical imaging and minimally-invasive therapy. The activities are designed at Siemens Healthineers by experts in key areas, such as application design, instructional technology and information security. Learners can also construct a learning experience personalized to their needs, and share their learning experience with others via a range of social media channels or groups they are members of within PEPconnect.
Almost 300,000 professionals are already using PEPconnect for their training and professional development needs in up to eight different languages.
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