Healthmarket Digest
February 2010

FDA in the News

In This Issue
FDA in the News
News Headlines
Tip of the Week
Healthmarket Digest Online
Past Issues...
Take the Temperature Monitoring Survey!
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Healthmark
FDA in the News
      
     Stories were few this past week, but they had a repeating theme, the role of the FDA is changing. For many, the news that the FDA is delaying mandatory replacement of the Steris System 1 is welcome, as many facilities rely heavily upon these machines to not only reprocess flexible endoscopes, but other heat labile devices. In a broader sense, the FDA has reviewed the 510k and premarket notification process and decided it needs modernization. This is a process that medical device manufacturers and healthcare providers need to pay close attention to. As the Steris System 1 situation demonstrates, the FDA is a key stakeholder in the delivery of healthcare with a great deal of influence on the industry.

Sincerely,
Ralph J. Basile
Vice President of Marketing
Healthmark Industries Company, Inc.
News Headlines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has scheduled a public meeting on Feb. 18, 2010, to discuss key challenges related to the premarket notification, or 510(k) process...
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CDRH: Changes to 510(k) Process in Store for Later This Year...
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Steris System 1 Processor: Extension of Recommended Time Period for Healthcare Facilities To Transition to Legally-Marketed Alternatives...
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Tip of the Week

Shark Tooth Heat Mitts (TM)Too Hot to Touch!

Some times we joke that some topics are "too hot to touch." In Sterile Processing, we have real items that are often too hot to touch with the unprotected hand. What is a safe temperature to touch something? Consensus is around 115F. At that temperature, items feel warm, but they will not burn human skin. If you have to handle hot items, such as those coming from a sterilizer or a washer, be sure to wear a glove or mitt meant for handling such items. There are also simple to use temperature indicators, which can indicate when an item is safe to touch. Check out the coupon below for more information about just such an item.

Thank You for Your Continued Interest!
Thank you very much for reading this 36th edition of Healthmarket Digest. We are very excited to have you as a member of our online community.
 
Sincerely,
 
Alex Kirk
Healthmark Industries Company, Inc.
www.hmark.com 
Questions or comments?
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Know when it is safe to grab a heated item with the temperature sensitive TempaCheck™ HotSpot. When an item is hot to the touch (120°F), the HotSpot is black. When the item has cooled below 115°F, the HotSpot will turn green, letting staff know the item can be handled without use of heat mitts.