Health trends
Published:Wednesday | November 16, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Xarelto approved to prevent stroke
The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved the anti-clotting drug Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to reduce the risk of stroke in people who have abnormal heart rhythm (non-valvular atrial fibrillation).
Atrial fibrillation occurs in more than two million Americans and is one of the most common types of abnormal heart rhythm. In atrial fibrillation, the beating of the heart's two upper heart chambers (atria) is irregular and poorly coordinated. This leads to blood pooling in these chambers, resulting in blood clots. Non-valvular atrial fibrillation refers to atrial fibrillation in patients who do not have significant problems in their heart valves.
"Atrial fibrillation can lead to the formation of blood clots, which can travel to the brain, blocking blood flow and causing a disabling stroke," said Norman Stockbridge, MD, PhD, director of the Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "This approval gives doctors and patients another treatment option for a condition that must be managed carefully."
Source: US Food and Drug Administration
Safe disposal of used needles
The US Food and Drug Administration recently launched a new website for patients and caregivers on the safe disposal of needles and other so-called 'sharps' used at home, at work and while travelling. The website will help people understand the public-health risks created by improperly disposing of used sharps and how users should safely dispose of them.
Sharps is a term for medical devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut the skin. Such medical devices include hypodermic needles and syringes used to administer medication; lancets or fingerstick devices to collect blood for testing; needle and tubing systems for infusing intravenous and subcutaneous medicines; and connection needles used for home haemodialysis.
After being used, many sharps end up in home and public trash cans or flushed down toilets. This kind of improper disposal puts people, such as sanitation workers, sewage treatment workers, janitors, housekeepers, family members and children, at risk for needle stick injuries or infection with viruses such as hepatitis B and C and HIV.
Source: US Food and Drug Administration