Vascular Access News

Austin, Texas-based TVA Medical Inc. has won the 2014 Innovations in Cardiovascular Interventions (ICI) Best Start-Up Innovation Award. The company received the honor for its everlinQ System, a catheter-based technology designed to create hemodialysis access for chronic kidney disease patients in a minimally-invasive procedure.

The arteriovenous fistula may be the gold standard for dialysis access, but it may not always be the best option for some patients – particularly those who have already had multiple failed accesses.

The University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) is seeking nine people to serve on a technical expert panel to review the National Quality Forum endorsed Vascular Access measures (Minimizing Use of Catheters as Chronic Dialysis Access, and Maximizing Placement of Arterial Venous Fistula) and consider possible changes to the existing measures, including potential risk adjustment.

Research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine shows just how important diligent daily physical activity is. The researchers found that reducing daily physical activity for even a few days leads to decreases in the function of the inner lining of blood vessels in the legs of young, healthy subjects causing vascular dysfunction that can have prolonged effects.

Clinicians recently accomplished the first known successful delivery of renal replacement therapy with subsequent recovery of kidney function in a patient with Ebola virus disease. Their protocol was presented at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2014. It will also appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) and was released on the JASN website on Nov. 14th.

The U.S. health care system is buckling under the burden of a large and growing population of patients with chronic diseases. Yet, the current medical model may not be optimal for serving the needs of these complex patients. Care of chronically ill individuals often suffers from 1) fragmentation, 2) communication gaps, 3) educational deficiencies, and 4) the episodic nature of physician visits. The model works well for younger, healthier individuals and those with acute illnesses, but the flawed current care delivery system with its consequent poor outcomes in CKD demands that newer approaches to care are needed.

Skin cleansing agent for mechanical cleansing, debridement and removal of foreign material from all catheter exit sites. Non-sensitizing, non-allergenic, non-irritating. Can be used on the skin anywhere cleansing is needed.

High- level disinfectant for all catheter caps and connections, medications port and peritoneal dialysis set disinfection. Fast-acting against bacteria, fungi, spores, mycobacteria and viruses. Reduces required contact time to 2 minutes. Stable for 180 days once opened.

Renal Ventures Management has opened its first vascular access center in Lafayette, La. The Vascular Center at Lafayette, LLC is a joint venture partnership between Physician Venture Partners, LLC and Acadiana Renal Physicians Inc.

Covidien plc has acquired Reverse Medical Corporation, a privately held medical device company focused on expanding the management of vascular disease. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.