In a press release from September 2007, new evidence-based guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians recommend against the use of low-dose computed tomography for the general screening of lung cancer. The guidelines cite that there is little evidence to show that lung cancer screening impacts mortality in patients, including those who are considered at high risk for the disease. The guidelines also include new recommendations related to adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection and the diagnosis and treatment of solitary pulmonary nodules. Because of the lack of supporting evidence, the guidelines recommend against the use of low-dose computed tomography, chest radiographs, or single or serial sputum cytological evaluation for lung cancer screening in the general population, including smokers or others who are at a high risk, except in the context of a well-designed clinical trial. The lung cancer guidelines include recommendations on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of bronchioalveolar carcinoma, a type of lung cancer often seen in nonsmokers or those with minimal smoking history. Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the United States, causing more deaths than the next 4 most common cancers combined, including colon, breast, pancreas, and prostate. Thirty-one percent of cancer deaths in men are attributable to lung cancer, whereas the number is slightly lower at 26% in women. However, if the current trends continue, the incidence of lung cancer will be identical for men and women during the next decade. For more information, contact Jennifer Stawarz at [email protected].

In August 2007, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program issued the first comprehensive update in a decade on clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. The guidelines emphasize the importance of asthma control and introduce new approaches for monitoring asthma. Updated recommendations for managing asthma include an expanded section on childhood asthma (with an additional age group), new guidance on medications, new recommendations on patient education in settings beyond the physician's office, and new advice for controlling environmental factors that can cause asthma symptoms. Coordinated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes for Health, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program convenes an expert panel when there is sufficient science to warrant a rigorous, systematic review of the published medical literature to ensure that the asthma guidelines reflect the latest scientific advances. Asthma is a disease that requires long-term treatment and causes narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult at times. More than 22 million people in the United States have asthma, including 6.5 million children younger than 18 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without appropriate treatment, asthma can significantly limit individuals' activities and result in asthma exacerbations, which can lead to hospitalization and even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4,000 Americans die of asthma exacerbations each year.

Key features and changes to the components of asthma care include (1) assessment and monitoring by using multiple measures of the patient's level of current impairment and future risk, progressive loss of lung function, or adverse side effects from medications; (2) patient education confirming the importance of teaching the patients skills to self-monitor and manage asthma and to use a written asthma action plan; (3) control of environmental factors and other conditions that can affect asthma; and (4) medications that still use a stepwise approach to control asthma, in which medication doses or types are stepped up as needed and stepped down when possible. For more information, e-mail at [email protected].

In August 2007, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug from Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, Inc to control minor bleeding during surgery. Evithrom is the first blood-clotting protein derived from human plasma to receive approval since the 1950s. The Food and Drug Administration approved this new drug to stop oozing and minor bleeding from small blood vessels and veins when standard surgical techniques do not work. For more information, e-mail at http://Pharma-SearchPartners.com.

Pressure for hospitals to improve care and provide patients with safe and effective treatment/outcome continues to build. In January 2008, the new Joint Commission Patient Safety Goals will go into effect. Historically, surveillance efforts targeted high-risk patients; however, the new patient goals call for more inclusive efforts, addressing all patient populations facility-wide. In addition, effective October 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will no longer reimburse hospitals for treating 8 hospital-associated conditions. Fortunately, as hospitals are urgently seeking new methods to improve patient safety and lower the incidence of hospital-associated conditions, many are seeing results. For more information, please e-mail at [email protected].