UPDATE: Justice Department Probing Defibrillator Implants
25. Januar 2011The Justice Department has an ongoing probe into heart defibrillator implants, which a big medical study recently indicated are often given to patients who fall outside medical guidelines,Coach Swingpack Bags an association for heart doctors confirmed Friday. The investigation could put pressure on a roughly $4.3 billion domestic market for the devices, led by Medtronic Inc. (MDT), St. Jude Medical Inc. (STJ) and Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX). The Heart Rhythm Society disclosed the probe in a notice to members, which it confirmed in a later statement, and said it is helping the government. The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) is aware of the ongoing Department of Justice (DOJ) civil investigation of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implants and has agreed to assist in an advisory role to lend expertise concerning proper guidelines for clinical decision making,” the group said in a statement. HRS is reviewing information that does not include either identifiable patient or facility level data,” the group said. “Rather, we are providing insight on the field of electrophysiology to the DOJ. Because this is an ongoing investigation, HRS is not availableCoach Travel Bag for further comment.” The statement was referenced online Thursday by some device-implanting doctors and on Friday by Cardiobrief, a website that covers heart issues. The Justice Department declined comment on the matter. Whether the Justice Department’s ongoing probe is linked to the recent medical study is unclear, although that study raised questions about which patients get defibrillator implants. The devices are placed in patient’s chests with cables connected to the heart that deliver jolts of electricity when needed to stop potentially deadly rhythm disruptions. The study, published early this month by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found more than one in five patients who received defibrillators didn’t meet medical guidelines to get one. Most often this was because of timing issues, because guidelines call for certain waiting periods for patients after events like heart attacks or a new heart-failure diagnosis. That means many patients would end up needing a defibrillator anyway to guard against deadly rhythm problems, but others might not if their hearts improve. The defibrillator market could slow if device-implanting electrophysiologistsCoach Wallets try to hew more closely to guidelines, or are concerned about scrutiny from the Justice Department. Citing conversations with electrophysiologists, Wells Fargo analyst Larry Biegelsen said they all anticipate a “chilling effect in the near term” due to the probe. There could be a short-term correction http://www.bagssaleshop.com/589-coach-handbags-2010-new-arrivals