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IN THIS ISSUE |
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Dawn AC User Survey Results
Joint NPSA Established Reports for Dawn
INR Machines Recalled
Blood Tests in Kitchen Hall Cause Concern
Death Risk Increased for Cancer Patients taking Anemia
Drugs
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Welcome to
the February edition of the
DAWN AC Anticoagulation Software E-Newsletter for 2008.
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Dawn AC User Survey Results |
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 We
carried out a Dawn AC User Survey recently which covered
areas of working such as the analysis of staffing,
responsibilities, procedures and performance. We
collected results from around 90 sites around the world,
and made these available to participants. The following
table shows some interesting key statistics found:
| STATISTICS: |
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| Average number of patients
managed by each healthcare professional |
UK: 726 |
USA: 342 |
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How is INR testing done? |
Lab Analysers: 63% |
Point of Care Devices: 37% |
| Do you have a set of written
procedures? |
Yes: 89% |
No: 11% |
| Do you routinely carry out audits
against these procedures? |
Yes: 60% |
No: 40% |
| How are INRs entered into your
system? |
Manual: 61% |
Automatic: 39% |
| Are patients with poor INR
control given extra education?
Average hours of patient education
given: |
Yes: 85%
1.9 Hours |
No: 15% |
If you have any comments
or wish to provide any feedback on the Dawn AC survey
results then please let us know at
support@4s-dawn.com.
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NPSA Established Reports for Dawn AC version 6
systems now Available!
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We have now created a standard installation pack of
reports for Dawn AC version 6 users, which give the
statistics needed according to the NPSA guidelines for
patients established on anticoagulants. If you would
like these reports emailed through to you, then please
email
support@4s-dawn.com or contact us on 015395 63091
and we will send these out to you. |
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INR Machines Recalled
after Inconsistent Readings Given |
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SmartCheck INR machines have
been recalled recently by the makers Unipath after a study
revealed that the meters were giving inconsistent INR
readings.
Unipath commmented that the SmartCheck machines 'did not
produce equivalent performance to the claims in the product
labelling'. The MHRA (Medicines and healthcare products
regulatory agency) says that there have been 'no reported
adverse incidents' but they will be issuing a medical device
alert.
To read more of this article, please follow the below link:
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Blood Tests in Hall
Kitchen Cause Concern |
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Concerns have been raised over patients having their blood
tests taken in a village hall kitchen near Lincoln recently,
according to the Lincolnshire Echo.
One patient commented that he actually saw food on the
worktops while he was having his blood taken at the
community centre. He and other patients have expressed fears
over the risk of possible infection by conducting the tests
here.
Mr. Kinnersley, 73, said "the last time I was there there
was food on the side and another guy made a joke about
getting a sandwich afterwards. It would be logical to have
it in the surgery and my GP thinks so too. It is fairly
obvious to me that it is held in the community centre to cut
costs".
The NHS authorities deny this claim.
To read more of this article, please follow the link to the
newspaper below:
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Death Risk Increased with Blood Clots for Cancer
Patients on Anemia Drugs & A New Dawn Anemia
Application
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U.S.
Researchers confirmed recently that giving cancer
patients anemia drugs heightens their risk of blood
clots and ultimately death.
Researchers found that the risk of death in patients was
increased by 10 percent when taking the anemia drugs
(including Procrit by Johnson & Johnson and Aranesp by
Amgen Inc.). Dr. Charles Bennett from the University of
Chicago commented, "Our findings, in conjunction with
basic science studies, raise the concern that the drug
may be stimulating cancer and shortening cancer
patients' survival".
The advisory group to the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration) in the USA is now planning to discuss
these safety issues on the 13th of March.
To read more of this article, please follow this link:
We now have a new Dawn Anemia application to track
patients on anemia drugs, detecting and flagging up out
of line results. This application can aid the management
and treatment of these patients. If you would like more
information on this application or have any questions,
then please contact us at
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