Showing posts with label CDC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CDC. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

CDC Launches Free App ‘Solve the Outbreak’


First Posted: Feb 20, 2013 08:47 AM EST
The recent meningitis outbreak linked to compounding pharmacy has shown how important it is to be able to locate the center of the outbreak and how people must be equipped to deal with such emergencies. Now, you may not be a disease detective, but you can play a game of disease investigation at home.
As part of its efforts to connect with people on social networks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a free app that lets you solve a disease outbreak.
"You'll play the role of an Epidemic Intelligence Service agent. Find clues about outbreaks and make tough decisions about what to do next: Do you quarantine the village? Talk to people who are sick? Ask for more lab results?," CDC said.
Users will be first included in the 'training staff", after which they'll have to earn points based on their ability in analyzing the data. Each answer will earn points and save lives of people affected by the "outbreak".
Players will earn badges and cracking the outbreak case will make them a Disease Detective.
CDC said that the app was designed in-house and hasn't given any development costs, The Huffington Post reported.
This isn't the first time that a federal agency has come up with a free application. Other examples of apps created to provide information to the public include "Ask Karen" launched by the Agriculture Department, and National Institutes of Health's Wireless Information For Emergency Responders, or WISER.
The Solve the Outbreak app from CDC can be found at iTunes.

Source found here

Saturday, October 20, 2012

CDC: Meningitis Mold In Tainted Drug Can Incubate For Months


Sunday, October 7, 2012

CDC Update for October 7, 2012: 91 Cases of Meningitis


Multi-State Meningitis Outbreak - Current Case Count

October 7, 2012 2:00 PM EDT

Persons with Meningitis Linked to Epidural Steroid Injections, by State

Image of US map for case counts by state.
Persons with meningitis linked to epidural steroid injections, as of October 7, 2012:
Total case count: 91
Florida: 4 cases
Indiana: 8 cases 
Maryland: 3 cases, including 1 death
Michigan: 20 cases, including 2 deaths
Minnesota: 3 case
North Carolina: 2 cases
Ohio: 1 case
Tennessee: 32 cases, including 3 deaths
Virginia: 18 cases, including 1 death
Contact Us:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    1600 Clifton Rd
    Atlanta, GA 30333
  • 800-CDC-INFO
    (800-232-4636)
    TTY: (888) 232-6348
  • New Hours of Operation
    8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
    Closed Holidays
  • cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Friday, July 27, 2012

CDC and ASCA meet to discuss Injectable Drugs in Single-Dose and Multi-Dose Vials and Whether A Compounding Pharmacy Can Divide Vials via 797

ASCA representatives met with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff this past week to discuss issues affecting the ASC industry, particularly those related to injectable drugs packaged in single-dose and multi-dose vials. Attending the meeting were ASCA CEO Bill Prentice, ASCA Director of Education and Clinical Affairs Gina Throneberry, MBA RN CNOR ONC CASC, ASCA Board Member David Shapiro, MD, and ASCA consultant Marian Lowe.
The CDC gave ASCA an overview of the process behind their various recommendations, including their position on single-dose/single-use vials. An outline of past and recent outbreaks of infectious diseases associated with unsafe injection practices was also discussed by the CDC.
The ASCA representatives voiced concerns received from members with regard to the lack of science behind these recommendations, and asked for clarity from the agency as to why a more nuanced process pertaining to single-use vials could not be developed that would protect patients while eliminating the drug waste that currently occurs. They also briefed the agency on the different injectable drugs that ASCA members were either in having difficulty obtaining or are hard to find in appropriate doses. Finally, they rebutted the CDC’s notion that ASCs could use a compounding pharmacy to divide single-use vials via the US Pharmacopoeia (USP) 797.
The CDC staff stated that they would work to develop a clearer explanation for their position on single-use vials and pledged to work with us and other federal agencies to address both the drug shortage and drug packaging issues that are impacting patient care in ASCs. We agreed to continue our discussions after ASCA meets with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on these topics next month.I
For more information, contact Gina Throneberry at gthroneberry@ascassociation.org
This article is found here