TWC News Update

Does Ancient Remedy Exist for MRSA?

  Researchers in the United Kingdom have reported success in treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through the utilization of what’s described as an ancient remedy. According to a report recently published by the Washington Post, the ingredients to the elixir include garlic, onions or leeks, copper, wine, and oxgall — a florid name for cow’s bile.

  The remedy was reportedly uncovered in a manuscript from the 10th century known as “Bald’s Leechbook” that was written in Old English.

  According to Christina Lee, an associate professor in Viking studies at the University of Nottingham, the MRSA research is a product of conversations among various academics who are interested in infectious disease and how people cared for things clinically before the use of antibiotics, according to the Post report.

  Lee also said it was the combination of ingredients that proved effective.

  Researchers have already cautioned that the oxgall remedy may not prove effective against MRSA outside of the lab.

  The research was recently presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for General Microbiology in Birmingham, according to the Post.

Precision Offers Outpatient Center Management Assessment

  Precision Health Care Inc., Boca Raton, FL, has announced the launch of its GPS In-source Program to assist hospitals in returning the management of their outpatient wound centers to their own self-management in an effort to realize improved financial results to facilities.

  With the recent development of wound management company mergers and the growing demands in wound center quality and reimbursement pressures, hospital administrators are reviewing their outsourced wound center to evaluate if the timing and opportunity are right to in-source this service line, according to Precision officials. In-sourcing the wound center will ensure control and quality care, eliminate management fees, and enhance the hospital’s bottom line, officials said. The GPS In-source Program develops and executes the plan to transition the wound center from a management company to the hospital. Precision provides the feasibility analysis, consultation, and engagement options to consult with hospitals, officials said.

  Key elements of the GPS In-source Program include the transition plan, securing hyperbaric chambers and other medical equipment, electronic medial records, data management, and staffing while maintaining a focus on the continuity of patient care. Hospital staff members can take an online GPS In-Source Survey at www.precisionhealthcare.com to navigate their advantage to in-sourcing their wound centers.

Diabetes Drugs Could Increase Heart Risks

  A new study has examined whether glucose or sugar-lowering medications prescribed to patients living with diabetes may pose an increased risk for the development of heart failure.

  According to multiple news reports, the study conducted at the American College of Cardiology, Washington, DC, examined clinical trials of more than 95,000 patients and found that for every 1 kg of weight gain attributed to a sugar-lowering diabetes medication or strategy, there was an associated 7% increased risk of heart failure directly linked to that medication or strategy.

  Patients randomized to new or more intensive blood sugar-lowering drugs or strategies to manage diabetes showed an overall 14 % increased risk for heart failure, and this increased risk was directly associated with the type of diabetes therapy chosen, with some drugs more likely to cause heart failure than others compared with placebo or standard care, said Jacob Udell, MD, MPH, FRCPC, the study’s principal investigator and cardiologist at Toronto’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, and Women’s College Hospital. It’s believed the study’s results could prove to be the catalyst for how those patients at risk for heart disease are managed moving forward. The study was recently published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.