OAK BROOK, Ill. (PRWEB)
April 07, 2020

A multinational consensus statement from the Fleischner Society on the role of chest imaging in the management of patients with COVID-19 was jointly published today in the journals Radiology and Chest.

“We need to understand that conditions across the globe vary greatly. Our goal in developing this statement was to offer guidance that is sensitive to these differences and applicable broadly,” said Geoffrey D. Rubin, M.D., George B. Geller Professor of Cardiovascular Research, professor of radiology and bioengineering at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

The statement represents the collective opinions and perspectives of thoracic radiology, pulmonology, intensive care, emergency medicine, laboratory medicine and infection control experts practicing in 10 countries, representative of the highest burden of COVID-19 worldwide.

“The willingness of experts from around the world to pause from their care of patients to contribute their knowledge and experience toward this international consensus was inspiring,” Dr. Rubin said.

Chest CT and X-ray are key tools in the diagnosis and management of numerous respiratory ailments, but their role in the management of COVID-19 has not been considered within the context of many variables, including the severity of respiratory disease, pre-test probability, risk factors for disease progression, and critical resource constraints.

“The Fleischner statement was uniquely comprised of a multidisciplinary panel comprised principally of radiologists and pulmonologists from 10 countries with experience managing COVID-19 patients across a spectrum of healthcare environments,” said Radiology Editor David A. Bluemke, M.D.

The panel evaluated the utility of imaging within three scenarios representing varying risk factors, community conditions and resource constraints.

Fourteen key questions, corresponding to 11 decision points within the three scenarios and three additional clinical situations, were rated by the panel based upon the anticipated value of the information that thoracic imaging would be expected to provide. The results were aggregated, resulting in five main and three additional recommendations intended to guide medical practitioners in the use of chest X-ray and CT in the management of COVID-19.

The results suggested that imaging is not routinely indicated in asymptomatic individuals or patients with suspected COVID-19 and mild clinical symptoms. Use of chest imaging is indicated in patients with COVID-19 who have worsening respiratory status. Imaging is also indicated for patients with moderate to severe features of COVID-19 regardless of COVID-19 test results.

In a resource-constrained environment (lack of personal protection equipment or availability of COVID-19 testing), imaging is indicated for medical triage of patients with suspected COVID-19 who present with moderate to severe clinical features and a high pre-test probability of disease.

The panel also found that CT is appropriate in patients with functional impairment and/or hypoxemia (low level of oxygen in the blood) after recovery from COVID-19. When there is known community transmission, evidence of COVID-19 has been incidentally found on CT scans. In these cases, patients should have COVID-19 testing using a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) viral assay.

The authors note that this consensus statement represents opinion at a moment in time within a highly dynamic environment where the status of regional epidemics and the availability of critical resources to combat those epidemics vary daily. Recommendations may undergo refinement as the situation evolves.

“Currently, no therapy has been confirmed to alter the course of COVID-19, there is no known cure, and there is no vaccine for prevention,” Dr. Rubin said. “As effective treatments are developed, thoracic imaging may find new roles by establishing treatment response or characterizing patients as likely responders to novel therapies.”

RSNA is committed to connecting radiologists and the radiology community to the most timely and useful COVID-19 information and resources. RSNA’s COVID-19 Resources page houses the latest guidance, original research, image collection and more. The page will be updated on an ongoing basis.

An associated special edition podcast from Dr. Bluemke is available.

“The Role of Chest Imaging in Patient Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Consensus Statement from the Fleischner Society.” Geoffrey D. Rubin, Christopher J. Ryerson, Linda B. Haramati, Nicola Sverzellati, Jeffrey P. Kanne, Suhail Raoof, Neil W. Schluger, Annalisa Volpi, Jae-Joon Yim, Ian B. K. Martin, Deverick J. Anderson, Christina Kong, Talissa Altes, Andrew Bush, Sujal R. Desai, Jonathan Goldin, Jin Mo Goo, Marc Humbert, Yoshikazu Inoue, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, Fengming Luo, Peter J. Mazzone, Mathias Prokop, Martine Remy-Jardin, Luca Richeldi, Cornelia M. Schaefer-Prokop, Noriyuki Tomiyama, Athol U. Wells and Ann N. Leung.

Radiology is edited by David A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (https://pubs.rsna.org/journal/radiology)

RSNA is an association of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. (RSNA.org)

The Fleischner Society is an international, multidisciplinary medical society for thoracic radiology, dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the chest. (Fleischner.memberclicks.net)

For patient-friendly information on chest imaging, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

CHICAGO (PRWEB)
April 07, 2020

Ziegler, a specialty investment bank, is pleased to announce its role in advising Physician Housecalls (PHC) on its investment by Council Capital (Council). PHC is the leading provider of home-based primary care in Oklahoma and Kansas, and is rapidly expanding its current footprint in surrounding states. PHC will use this investment to fund its expansion as well as gain access to Council’s sophisticated CEO Council Model, which has demonstrated considerable success driving growth for emerging growth healthcare companies.

Founded in 2012, PHC provides convenient access to the care needs of homebound patients focusing primarily on those within the Medicare population with two or more chronic diseases that have difficulty leaving their home. PHC deploys physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants with primary care experience to the home and via telehealth. PHC has recently expanded into Kansas through acquisition and has numerous expansion targets under LOI. Key themes within healthcare such as the drive to see patients within the lowest cost setting, the push to fee for value as well as specific programs such as Primary Care First – a five year Medicare demonstration that is driving significantly increased reimbursement across 26 regions, are key drivers that will enable PHC’s sustained growth.

PHC is led by CEO, Hank Ross, and VP Clinical Services, Cindy Longanacre, who were successful home health operators before starting PHC to address a critical need for homebound patients. Hank Ross stated, “Significant forces within healthcare are enabling the emergence of home based primary care.” Ross continued, “We want to expand our key learnings into new markets and Council Capital has unique executive-level resources that will help us expand our footprint and capabilities.”

Chris Hendrickson, Managing Director in Ziegler’s Healthcare Corporate Finance practice stated, “Hank and Cindy have demonstrated the ability to rapidly expand into new markets while adding providers and integrating practices operationally. Growth capital combined with Council Capital’s demonstrated expertise at growing companies will be critical in PHC’s next stage, as it looks to become a larger regional player and ultimately a national leader within home based primary care.”

Eric Keen, General Partner at Council Capital, commented, “Home based primary care is an investment theme we have been investigating for more than a year. PHC offers an innovative and effective service that greatly improves the patient’s quality of care and satisfaction, reduces costs to the healthcare system, and creates a more meaningful practice experience for providers. These attributes align strongly with our strategy of investing on the “right side of change in healthcare” – where we are able to grow and generate returns by investing into companies that improve the patient experience while also reducing cost.” Keen continued, “We are excited to be partnering with the management team at Physician Housecalls and look forward to supporting them in their current mission while also working to further develop and enhance the organization to drive further growth.”

Ziegler’s Corporate Finance team is focused on delivering best-in-class advisory and financing solutions for companies and organizations across the healthcare industry. In our core practice areas of healthcare services, information technology, hospitals and senior living, Ziegler is one of the most active M&A firms offering innovative sell-side, buy-side, recapitalization/restructuring, equity private placement and strategic partnering services.

For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at http://www.ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:

Ziegler is a privately held, national boutique investment bank, capital markets and proprietary

investments firm. It has a unique focus on healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as

well as general municipal and structured finance. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and

branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory

services, fixed income sales, underwriting and trading as well as Ziegler Credit, Surveillance and Analytics. To learn more, visit http://www.ziegler.com.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This client’s experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

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HONOLULU (PRWEB)
April 07, 2020

LifeDNA, Inc., a pioneering personal genomics company, has initiated a coronavirus study aimed at understanding why certain individuals and racial/ethnic groups are more prone to the infection and may suffer a more severe course of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 has upended daily life for citizens around the globe,” said Cyril Moukarzel, CEO of LifeDNA, Inc. “Based on genetics, certain individuals and populations may be impacted more severely. LifeDNA’s scientists are working tirelessly to add to the body of knowledge regarding the effect of these genetic variations.”

Honolulu-based LifeDNA is collaborating with molecular epidemiologist Maarit Tiirikainen, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. The study will initially focus on the multi-ethnic population of Hawai‘i and genetic variants of the ACE2 gene as they relate to infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19.

“There have been major differences in the rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the severe disease between the different geographic regions since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, even among young individuals,” Dr. Tiirikainen said. “Epidemiological studies—so-called Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)—indicate that populations carry different variants of the ACE2 gene. This variation in the gene coding for the ACE2 receptor may have an effect on the number of ACE2 receptors on the lung cells, as well as on how effectively the virus binds to the receptor. There may also be genetic differences in immune and other important genes explaining why some people get more sick than others.”

For more than three years now, LifeDNA has been utilizing published GWAS data to provide reports on the association of genetic variants to various human traits. In this global health crisis, LifeDNA will focus its scientific resources on determining why certain individuals and ethnic populations seem more prone to the SARS-CoV-2 infection and may also have a more severe course of the COVID-19 disease. The differences in the severity of the disease may also have an effect on future lung cancer incidences in different populations, especially when augmented by smoking.

The genotyping for the study will be done at the Kaka’ako Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource (co-directed by Dr. Tiirikainen) at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center.

LifeDNA expects that the findings of its study will allow for identifying the most vulnerable individuals and populations ahead of time in future SARS virus-family outbreaks. The company also envisions pharmacogenomics collaborations on life-enhancing and lifesaving preventive therapeutics, such as those utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. While LifeDNA has yet to initiate formal partnership dialogue, companies with this relevant domain expertise include CRISPR Therapeutics AG, Editas Medicine, Inc. and Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.

About LifeDNA

LifeDNA is a leading personal genomics company headquartered in Honolulu. The company’s mission is to help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives by unlocking the power of their unique DNA. LifeDNA’s offerings include a self-administered, cheek swab DNA test kit and reports on 137 traits in the following categories: health, personality, fitness, nutrition and skin. Consumers who have already taken a DNA test with 23andMe, Ancestry or MyHeritage may upload their DNA raw data files (DNA test results) to gain deeper insight with LifeDNA’s critically acclaimed reports. LifeDNA is headquartered in Honolulu and privately backed by Markowitz Trust and other investors. Learn more at http://www.lifedna.com. Like LifeDNA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/golifedna/. Follow LifeDNA on Twitter @golifedna.

About the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center

The University of Hawai’i Cancer Center through its various activities, cancer trial patients and their guests, and other visitors adds more than $54 million to the O‘ahu economy. It is one of only 71 research institutions designated by the National Cancer Institute. Affiliated with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the Center is dedicated to eliminating cancer through research, education, patient care and community outreach with an emphasis on the unique ethnic, cultural, and environmental characteristics of Hawai’i and the Pacific. Learn more at http://www.uhcancercenter.org. Like UC Cancer Center on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UHCancerCenter. Follow the UH Cancer Center on Twitter @UHCancerCenter.

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DALLAS (PRWEB)
April 07, 2020

To help fight the spread of COVID-19 and reduce hospital overcrowding due to the pandemic, FieldMed, a dedicated community health software platform, announced today the launch of a new telehealth feature that allows paramedics and in-home practitioners to connect patients directly with doctors without ever leaving their homes. In addition to telehealth capabilities, the new feature includes HIPAA-compliant data capture specifically for COVID-19 screening along with full integration with other reporting systems.

As hospitals around the country grapple with the influx of critical needs patients, FieldMed’s new feature presents paramedics with an alternative to transporting patients to hospitals, while also providing patients with the care they need in the comfort of their own homes and without the risk of additional exposure. Through the feature, paramedics and home health providers will be able to initiate a telehealth session with a physician directly from their tablet application in the software. Paramedics and other healthcare providers will also be able to follow-up with patients if they are self-quarantined.

“In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team got to work to identify how we can best help during this time of crisis,” said Daniel Dura, chief executive officer and co-founder of FieldMed. “We activated quickly to build a solution within our existing FieldMed community health platform to not only help those who are sick, but also to better serve healthcare professionals working to treat them. This new feature offers easy integration for quick adoption amongst paramedics and providers to allow for a more efficient, cost-effective and ultimately safer treatment process.”

Daniel Frey, vice president of business development and co-founder of FieldMed and a former first responder, continued, “Healthcare providers and paramedics are on the front lines of this pandemic, and this new feature can help to bridge the gap of care for patients while reducing the risk of exposure and overcrowding in hospitals. As paramedics continue to respond to medical care calls, they can trust FieldMed will be there to provide options to expedite and provide more safety precautions in the treatment process.”

In order to provide immediate support, FieldMed is deferring or waiving payments for 90 days for qualifying organizations that sign up before June 1, 2020.

“As a company, we understand that this is a difficult time for many, but particularly those in the healthcare industry,” said Randy Barker, co-founder of FieldMed. “That is why we are committed to working alongside paramedics and providers to ensure they have everything they need to effectively use this software and deliver better patient care.”

To learn more about FieldMed and the software’s new telehealth capabilities, visit http://www.fieldmed.com. If interested in utilizing the software, please contact info@fieldmed.com.

FieldMed

FieldMed is the first-ever dedicated community health software platform designed to foster the success of emerging community health programs nationwide. Created by the founders of Graphium Health, FieldMed transforms community healthcare by offering accessible, accurate, actionable and HIPAA-compliant reporting capabilities. The patient-first software platform empowers community health programs to provide better in-home patient care by utilizing intelligent software to streamline data and analyze trends. By going beyond regular patient data, FieldMed is reapproaching community healthcare through technology that puts patients first and reduces lost hours and resources for paramedics, city departments and hospitals. Learn more at FieldMed.com.

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CBDfx offers free hand sanitizer amid nationwide shortage

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB)
April 07, 2020

Today, CBD industry leaders CBDfx announced they are turning their manufacturing prowess towards the mass creation of an item that’s desperately needed: antiseptic hand sanitizer. CBDfx is now mass producing bottles of hand sanitizer and providing it to their customers for free when they shop on the company’s website.

“It’s time for those that can, to step up and help their communities impacted by COVID-19,” stated CBDfx co-founder and CEO Ali Esmaili. “In the wake of a nationwide shortage of something as important as hand sanitizer, businesses like CBDfx with access to manufacturing facilities should contribute much-needed supplies like this. CBDfx always puts the health and wellness of our customers and community first, and we hope that this small gesture makes the lives of our customers a little bit easier during this difficult time.”

CBDfx Hand Sanitizer is included free of charge with all orders on CBDfx.com through the end of April. The sanitizer follows FDA guidelines and contains 75% isopropyl alcohol which kills 99.9% of most illness causing germs. The sanitizer does not contain CBD.

About CBDfx: CBDfx is a Southern California-based company founded on providing high quality, organically sourced CBD products to customers in a wide variety of formats. CBDfx is a market leader in the CBD industry and was founded on the belief that everyone should have access to the layered functional benefits of CBD. CBDfx’s mission is to empower both new and experienced CBD users by providing access to products that are always organic, refreshingly innovative, and thoughtfully crafted to provide the purest experience possible.

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