The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that as of March 1, 2010, a single chamber process is now required for ethylene oxide (ETO) treatment of medical equipment and devices in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Healthcare facilities include nursing homes, diagnostic and major surgery facilities, doctor’s offices, clinics, and other outpatient facilities.

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According to a review published in the Journal of Urology, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and open radical prostatectomy (ORP) have similar rates of morbidity and similar requirements for additional therapy. However, LRP was associated with a significantly shorter hospitalization and a significantly lower incidence of bladder neck/urethral obstruction. In addition, more complications occurred when the surgeon was less experienced.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added a “black box” warning to the label for Plavix® (clopidogrel), an anticlotting medication. The warning relates to patients who do not effectively metabolize the drug (i.e., “poor metabolizers”) and, therefore, may not receive the full benefits of the drug.

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Recent news reports have raised questions regarding a possible association between oral bisphosphonates and atypical fractures in the bone just below the hip joint. Oral bisphosphonates are commonly prescribed to prevent or treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Common brand names of medications in this class include Fosamax®, Actonel®, Boniva®, and Reclast®.

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According to a systematic review published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, exercise training in sedentary patients with chronic conditions may significantly reduce their anxiety, regardless of whether the exercise was classified as moderate or vigorous.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a name change for the heartburn drug Kapidex (dexlansoprazole) to avoid confusion with two other medications—Casodex and Kadian. Effective in late April 2010, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. will market Kapidex under the new name Dexilant™.

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A retrospective analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that combination hormone therapy (HT) increases risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy postmenopausal women during the first 2 years of use and offers no cardioprotection during the first 8 years of use. The increased risk was statistically significant only among women who began the therapy more than 10 years after menopause, and the results do not apply to women who take estrogen-only hormones following hysterectomy.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Baxter Healthcare, the manufacturer of the HomeChoice and HomeChoice PRO dialysis systems, have notified patients of a Class I device recall after a number of reported injuries and one death. Recalls receive Class I status when there is reasonable probability that a device or drug will cause serious injury or death.

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According to newly revised guidelines from the American Cancer Society (ACS), men should discuss the benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening with their doctors. While this is not a radical change from the previous recommendations, the new guidelines offer clearer guidance on what should be discussed. The revised recommendations, last updated in 2006, are based, in part, on early findings from two large American and European studies that looked at whether prostate cancer screening with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE) saves lives.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Prevnar 13™, a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine, for infants and young children ages 6 weeks through 5 years.

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