Cancer survivors who had chest radiation are nearly twice as likely to die in the years after having major heart surgery as similar patients who didn't have radiation, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Tyrx Inc. has received a license from Health Canada to market its new AigisRx R Fully Resorbable Antibacterial Envelope technology with implantable electronic devices (IEDs). The AigisRx R Antibacterial Envelope is specifically designed to stabilize IEDs while also releasing antimicrobial agents to help provide protection from microbial colonization of the device during surgical implantation. Tyrx is the leader in the commercialization of implantable medical devices intended to help reduce surgical site infections.

Archimedes IndiGo — the physician and patient decision-support tool created by Archimedes, Inc. — was chosen last summer as the risk-assessment engine for the new $100,000 mobile app challenge sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Million Hearts "Risk Check Challenge," the ONC invited developers to create a mobile app that would help consumers take a heart-health risk assessment, direct them to health-screening locations in their community and use the results to work with their doctor to develop a plan for improving their heart health.

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) will commence a 30-day planned shutdown for inspection and maintenance of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, starting April 14, 2013. This planned shutdown, which AECL has advised will last until May 14, 2013, will result in an interruption in the supply of medical isotopes used in nuclear imaging procedures in the United States. Chalk River is one of the primary sources for the isotopes used in nuclear imaging radiopharmaceuticals.

One of the leading complaints in the emergency department is chest pain and the timely detection of a heart attack is essential. The Johns Hopkins Hospital presented an abstract at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) conference in March that utilized VentraCor's VectraplexECG System. The abstract, entitled "New Cardiac Electrical Biomarker Measured on 12-Lead ECG Strongly Correlates With High Sensitivity Troponin in Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department to Rule Out Acute Myocardial Ischemic Injury," was presented by Larisa Tereshchenko, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, of The Johns Hopkins Hospital.