New York, NY (March 18, 2013) – Wolters Kluwer Health and Amirsys, Inc., a leader in healthcare information solutions in radiology, pathology, and anatomy, are pleased to announce a partnership to offer the Amirsys Imaging Reference Center and nearly 60 Amirsys ebooks via the OvidSP medical research platform. The Amirsys Imaging Reference Center blends thousands of high-quality, representative images and relevant diagnosis and clinical text contributed by thousands of imaging experts, enabling clinicians to quickly make well-informed image-based treatment decisions.

The Amirsys Imaging Reference Center will be available to hospitals, residency programs, medical schools, and other healthcare institutions globally as an annual subscription or as a single, one-time purchase on OvidSP.

The Amirsys Imaging Reference Center includes over 70,000 CT scans, X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, full-color illustrations, and other images. More than 4,000 common, classical diagnoses as well as clinical text supported by over 40,000 journal references provide critical clinical context to the images, helping users to order and review imaging tests and studies and diagnose patients based on radiological images. Images and topics are searchable by medical specialty and organ system, and users can print or download images and content for easy use in the office, in presentations, or in the classroom.

“This collaboration with Amirsys provides our OvidSP global user base with a unique tool to form critical clinical perspectives on diagnostic images in support of patient-centered care,” said Andrew Richardson, Vice President Business Development Wolters Kluwer Health, Medical Research. “The addition of Amirsys on Ovid reinforces our aggregation strategy to provide researchers, practitioners and students with complementary, premier medical, clinical resources easily accessible in one solution.”

In addition to the Amirsys Imaging Reference Center, fifty-nine ebooks from Amirsys will be coming to the OvidSP platform. These include the award-winning Osborn’s Brain: Imaging, Pathology, and Anatomy, the successor to one of the bestselling neuroradiology books which covers the fundamentals, techniques, and modalities of brain imaging and includes over 2,000 annotated images. Three cost-effective book collections will also be available: the Amirsys Diagnostic Radiology Book Collection, Amirsys Diagnostic Pathology Book Collection and Amirsys Diagnostic Reference Collection.

“We were impressed with the global penetration and quality of aggregated content on the Ovid platform so it made for a perfect distribution channel to broaden the reach of our Imaging Reference Center resources targeting practitioners, instructors, educators, and students in any medical field at any stage in their training,” said Dr. Ric Harnsberger MD, Professor of Radiology at University of Utah, and Amirsys Co-CEO.

About Amirsys, Inc.

Amirsys, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative healthcare information solutions in radiology, pathology, and anatomy. Our unique combination of proprietary technology and image-intensive, evidence-based content provide online problem-solving solutions and reference books to thousands of physicians and health professionals worldwide.

Amirsys delivers medical expertise with powerful technology to provide life-saving, vital information to health care professionals. Amirsys content is authored by a team of over 300 leading radiologists, pathologists and anatomists. Our intelligent technology transforms this content to deliver powerful medical information products, ranging from clinical diagnostic support to educational products.

About Wolters Kluwer Health

Wolters Kluwer Health (Philadelphia, PA) is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries and territories worldwide, Wolters Kluwer Health’s customers include professionals, institutions and students in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Ovid^®, Medknow, UpToDate^®, Medi-Span^®, Facts & Comparisons^®, Pharmacy OneSource^®, Lexicomp^® and ProVation^® Medical.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2012 annual revenues of €3.6 billion ($4.6 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

Official AANN Journal Introduces iPad App Edition to Aid Practitioners with Fast,
Convenient Access to the Research

Philadelphia PA (March 7, 2013) – The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) will celebrate its 45^th Annual Education Conference designed to help neuroscience nurses explore the critical, evidence-based information of its specialty to support a wide range of patient conditions. In recognition of the field’s advances over the past 45 years, AANN’s official research publication, the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing (JNN), will introduce an iPad app edition at the meeting. The AANN Annual Educational Meeting takes place March 9-12 in Charlotte, North Carolina. JNN is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

“Digital access is part of our future and is increasingly how our members and practitioners want to access the Journal,” said V. Susan Carroll, MS, RN-BC, Editor of the JNN.  “We are pleased to launch the Journal app during our annual meeting, reinforcing our focus to make the JNN even more accessible to nurses and practitioners in today’s demanding, quickly-changing field.”

AANN’s 45^th Annual Educational Meeting theme – Listen, Learn, Lead –is designed to explore the critical information of the specialty, which encompasses nursing care for patients suffering a wide range of conditions, including strokes, dementia, brain trauma and injuries, and neurological diseases. This aligns with the JNN’s focus to provide research and information that is directly applicable to neuroscience nursing practice, as evidenced in the March/April issue.  

For example, State of the Science: Use of Biomarkers and Imaging in Diagnosis and Management of Alzheimer Disease by Dierdre Brett Faller explores recent techniques that may soon allow a clinical diagnosis before the disease progresses to the point where symptoms become evident – when the benefits of treatment are limited. While still in the research stages, new methods to determine the disease’s pathology at earlier stages have the potential for an immense impact in clinical diagnosis and management.  For neuroscience nurses, this important research is key to putting the techniques into practice as they become more widely available, and being able to discuss them with patients and their families.         

Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases and Their Unique Cognitive Profiles: Implications for Nursing Practice and Research by David E. Vance, Joan E. Dodson, Jason Watkins, Bridgett H. Kennedy, and Norman L. Keltner, highlights the distinct ‘cognitive profiles’ of neurological and psychiatric diseases – which include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and anxiety disorders.  Knowledge of how these diseases impact a patient’s cognitive function and ability to interact in society helps nurses determine how well the patient may be able to manage important aspects of their care regimen, such as remembering to make appointments or take medications.  Overall, this understanding will help nurses provide the best care, tailored to the individual patient’s needs. 

“Both articles have a strong research and new practice implications focus,” says Carroll. “They directly reflect the quality content in the JNN, and show how the Journal is positioned to help every nurse provide the best patient care.”

JNN for the iPad is Convenient, Accessible

The March/April issue of the JNN is now available as a free download in the iTunes App Store.  Each issue, delivered in a state-of-the art digital format, provides an enhanced print-like reading experience.  Special features include the ability to share articles and content via email, videos, and podcasts.  The iPad app also provides links back to JNNOnline.com, the Journal website, where subscribers can search, access, complete continuing education opportunities, and read the full contents of every issue.

Subsequent issues of the JNN will be available on the iPad on the same bimonthly schedule as the current online and print editions.  Future supplements and special issues will also be posted for download as soon as they are published. During an initial trial period, all readers of the JNN for the iPad will have free full access to the current issue.  After this free introductory period, AANN members and subscribers will continue to enjoy full access via a simple login process.

About  the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing

The Journal of Neuroscience Nursing (JNN), the official journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, contains original articles on advances in neurosurgical and neurological techniques as they affect nursing care, theory and research, as well as commentary on the roles of the neuroscience nurse in the health care team.  The Journal provides information to nurses and health care professionals working in diverse areas of neuroscience patient care such as multi-specialty and neuroscience intensive care units, general neuroscience units, combination units (neuro/ortho, neuromuscular/rehabilitation, neuropsychiatry, neurogerontology), rehabilitation units, medical-surgical units, pediatric units, emergency and trauma departments, and surgery. The information is applicable to professionals working in clinical, research, administrative, and educational settings.

About the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN)

Founded in 1968, the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, an organization of more than 4,000 members worldwide, is committed to working for the highest standard of care for neuroscience patients by advancing the science and practice of neuroscience nursing. AANN accomplishes this through continuing education, information dissemination, standard setting, and advocacy on behalf of neuroscience patients, families, and nurses. AANN develops and supports nurses in providing excellence in care and promotes the neuroscience nursing specialty. As the leading authority in neuroscience nursing, AANN inspires passion in nurses and creates the future for the specialty.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of €3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

Philadelphia, Pa. (January 16, 2013) – With the rapidly expanding use of brain and spinal cord stimulation therapy (neuromodulation), new “remote presence” technologies may help to meet the demand for experts to perform stimulator programming, reports a study in the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

The preliminary study by Dr. Ivar Mendez of Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, supports the feasibility and safety of using a remote presence robot—called the “RP-7″—to increase access to specialists qualified to program the brain and spine stimulators used in neuromodulation.

Robot Lets Experts Guide Nurses in Programming Stimulators

Dr. Mendez and his group developed the RP-7 as a way of allowing experts to “telementor” nonexpert nurses in programming stimulator devices. Already widely used for Parkinson’s disease and severe chronic pain, neuromodulation is being explored for use in other conditions, such as epilepsy, severe depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In this form of therapy, a small electrode is surgically placed in a precise location in the brain or spine. A mild electrical current is delivered to stimulate that area, with the goal of interrupting abnormal activity.  As more patients undergo brain and spine stimulation therapy, there’s a growing demand for experts to program the stimulators that generate the electrical current.

The RP-7 is a mobile, battery-powered robot that can be controlled using a laptop computer. It is equipped with digital cameras and microphones, allowing the expert, nurse, and patient to communicate. The robot’s “head” consists of a flat-screen monitor that displays the face of the expert operator.

The RP-7 also has an “arm” equipped with a touch-screen programmer, which the nurse can use to program the stimulator. The expert can “telestrate” to indicate to the nurse the correct buttons to push on the programming device.

Access to Specialists in the Next Room—or Miles Away

In the preliminary study, patients with neuromodulation devices were randomly assigned to conventional programming, with the expert in the room; or remote programming, with the expert using the RP-7 to guide a nurse in programming the stimulator. For the study, the expert operators were simply in another room of the same building. However, since the RP-7 operates over a conventional wireless connection, the expert can be anyplace that has Internet access.

On analysis of 20 patients (10 in each group), there was no significant difference in the accuracy or clinical outcomes of remote-presence versus conventional programming. No adverse events occurred with either type of session.

The remote-presence sessions took a little more time: 33 versus 26 minutes, on average. Patients, experts, and nonexpert nurses all gave high satisfaction scores for the programming experience.

“This study demonstrated that remote presence can be used for point-of-care programming of neuromodulation devices,” Dr. Mendez and coauthors write. The study provides “proof of principle” that the RP-7 or similar devices can help to meet the need for experts needed to serve the rapidly expanding number of patients with neuromodulation therapies.

The researchers have also started a pilot study using a new mobile device, called the RP-Xpress. About the size of a small suitcase, the RP-Xpress is being used to perform long-distance home visits for patients living hundreds of miles away, using existing local cell phone networks. Dr. Mendez and colleagues conclude, “We envision a time, in the near future, when patients with implanted neuromodulation devices will have real-time access to an expert clinician from the comfort of their own home.”

About Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery, the Official Journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, is your most complete window to the contemporary field of neurosurgery. Members of the Congress and non-member subscribers receive 3,000 pages per year packed with the very latest science, technology, and medicine, not to mention full-text online access to the world’s most complete, up-to-the-minute neurosurgery resource. For professionals aware of the rapid pace of developments in the field, Neurosurgery is nothing short of indispensable.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

Philadelphia, Pa. (January 16, 2013) – Researchers using sophisticated genetic testing techniques have identified a promising new biomarker for diagnosis of glioma—the most common type of malignant brain tumor, reports the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

The biomarker ELTD1 “may serve as an additional biomarker for gliomas in preclinical and clinical diagnosis of gliomas,” according to the study by Rheal A. Towner of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City.

Biomarker Reflects Rapid Blood Vessel Development

Dr. Towner and colleagues used advanced “data mining and bioinformatic” techniques to evaluate genes and gene products potentially associated with gliomas. Glioma is a general term referring to tumors originating in the glial cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas make up about 40 percent of all brain tumors and 80 percent of central nervous system cancers. Especially for advanced (high-grade) gliomas such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), expected survival is very poor.

Out of nearly 200 possible markers analyzed, ELTD1 was identified as the strongest candidate for a significant association with glioma. There’s special interest in ELTD1 because it is linked to development of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis—a characteristic of rapidly growing cancers. (ELTD1 stands for “epidermal growth factor, latrophilin and seven transmembrane domain-containing protein 1.”)

Studies in human patients suggested that ELTD1 was strongly associated with gliomas. ELTD1 was more highly expressed in specimens from 50 patients with high-grade gliomas, compared to 21 patients with lower-grade gliomas.

Higher levels of ELDT1 expression were associated with a higher grade of glioma, and with lower survival. ELTD1 compared well with other known markers of glioma, such as vascular endothelial growth factor. It also appeared to be associated with one specific subtype of GBM (mesenchymal GBM).

In further experiments, the researchers transplanted glioma cells into the brains of rats. As the tumors developed, they showed elevated levels of ELTD1, compared to normal brain tissue. The rat studies included evaluation of a “molecular MRI technique” for measuring ELDT1 levels in the living brain.

A Helpful Marker for Glioma Diagnosis?

Even with modern treatments, GBM and other malignant gliomas are devastating cancers. In recent years, advances in research have led to the identification of biomarkers associated with glioma. Dr. Towner and colleagues write, “Validation of more biomarkers for GBM could be beneficial in the diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of this disease.”

With further study, ELTD1 could become a useful new marker of glioma, including GBM. Gliomas show increased expression of ELTD1, and higher levels of ELTD1 expression are associated with higher tumor grade and a worse prognosis. “Any increase in ELTD1 will more than likely be associated with increased angiogenesis or neovascularization [new blood vessel development] in gliomas,” the researchers write.

Although the findings are only preliminary, Dr. Towner and coauthors suggest that ELTD1 could be useful in detecting the presence and grade of gliomas—particularly high-grade gliomas such as GBM. They conclude, “[T]his biomarker may play an important diagnostic role in addition to currently used markers for gliomas, particularly as a histological marker for identifying vascular proliferation.”

About Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery, the Official Journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, is your most complete window to the contemporary field of neurosurgery. Members of the Congress and non-member subscribers receive 3,000 pages per year packed with the very latest science, technology, and medicine, not to mention full-text online access to the world’s most complete, up-to-the-minute neurosurgery resource. For professionals aware of the rapid pace of developments in the field, Neurosurgery is nothing short of indispensable.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

Philadelphia, Pa. (December 20, 2012) – Robotic technologies have the potential to help neurosurgeons perform precise, technically demanding operations, together with virtual reality environments to help them navigate through the brain, according to a special supplement to Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

“Virtual Reality (VR) and robotics are two rapidly expanding fields with growing application within neurosurgery,” according to an introductory article by Garnette Sutherland, MD. The 22 reviews, commentaries, and original studies in the special supplement provide an up-to-the-minute overview of “the benefits and ongoing challenges related to the latest incarnations of these technologies.”

Robotics and VR in Neurosurgery—What’s Here and What’s Next

Virtual reality and robotic technologies present exciting opportunities for training, planning, and actual performance of neurosurgical procedures. Robotic tools under development or already in use can provide mechanical assistance, such as steadying the surgeon’s hand or “scaling” hand movements. “Current robots work in tandem with human operators to combine the advantages of human thinking with the capabilities of robots to provide data, to optimize localization on a moving subject, to operate in difficult positions, or to perform without muscle fatigue,” writes Dr. Sutherland.

Virtual reality technologies play an important role, providing “spatial orientation” between robotic instruments and the surgeon. Virtual reality environments “recreate the surgical space” in which the surgeon works, providing 3-D visual images as well as haptic (sense of touch) feedback. The ability to plan, rehearse, and “play back” operations in the brain could be particularly valuable for training neurosurgery residents—especially since recent work hour changes have limited opportunities for operating room experience.

The special supplement to Neurosurgery presents authoritative updates by experts working in the field of surgical robotics and VR technology, drawn from a wide range of disciplines. Topics include robotic technologies already in use, such as the “neuroArm” image-guided neurosurgical robot; reviews of progress in areas such as 3-D neurosurgical planning and virtual endoscopy; and new thinking on the best approaches to development, evaluation, and clinical uses of VR and robotic technologies.

But numerous and daunting technical challenges remain to be met before robotic and VR technologies become widely used in clinical neurosurgery. For example, VR environments require extremely fast processing times to provide the surgeon with continuously updated sensory information—equal to or faster than the brain’s ability to perceive it.

Economic challenges include the high costs of developing and implementing VR and robotic technologies, especially in terms of showing that the costs are justified by benefits to the patient. Continued progress in miniaturization will play an important role both in overcoming the technical challenges and in making the technology cost-effective.

The editors of Neurosurgery hope their supplement will stimulate interest and further progress in the development and practical implementation of VR and robotic technologies for neurosurgery. Dr. Sutherland adds, “Collaboration between the fields of medicine, engineering, science, and technology will allow innovations in these fields to converge in new products that will benefit patients with neurosurgical disease.”

About Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery, the Official Journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, is your most complete window to the contemporary field of neurosurgery. Members of the Congress and non-member subscribers receive 3,000 pages per year packed with the very latest science, technology, and medicine, not to mention full-text online access to the world’s most complete, up-to-the-minute neurosurgery resource. For professionals aware of the rapid pace of developments in the field, Neurosurgery is nothing short of indispensable.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

Philadelphia, Pa. (December 10, 2012) – As surgical teams gain experience with facial transplantation, a careful approach to planning based on the principles of craniofacial surgery can help to maximize patient outcomes in terms of facial form and function, according to an article in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal, under the editorship of Mutaz B. Habal, MD, is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

In patients with extensive facial defects including loss of the normal bone and soft tissue landmarks, a “reverse craniofacial planning” approach can restore normal facial relationships, the report suggests. The lead author was Dr. Edward J. Caterson, a member of the facial transplant team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Craniofacial Principles Applied to Facial Transplantation

Dr. Caterson and colleagues apply some basic principles of craniofacial surgery to the planning and performance of facial transplants. Although still a rare and relatively new procedure, facial transplantation now offers a reconstructive option for patients with severe facial deficits. Most patients who are candidates for facial transplant have loss of soft tissues only (such as skin, muscle, blood vessels, and nerves).

However, some patients also have defects of the underlying facial bones. In these cases, the challenge for the facial transplant team is nothing less than “the complete restoration of the structural anatomy of the craniofacial skeleton,” the authors write.

Through their experience with reconstructive surgery in patients with severe congenital deformities, craniofacial surgeons have developed an understanding of the “intimate functional relationship” between the facial soft tissue and supporting bone. In the traditional craniofacial procedure, the surgeon carefully plans and designs “bone movements that will translate into a desired change of the attached soft tissues.”

But in facial transplantation, the situation is essentially reversed: the degree of injury and the subsequent transplantation of facial soft tissues dictate the “osteosynthesis” of the craniofacial skeleton. Dr. Caterson and colleagues describe a simple but practical technique for surgical planning to promote proper positioning of the facial transplant. The technique applies “normative” data on facial landmarks and relationships and then transposes them onto the recipient.

Understanding the relationships of facial structure allows surgeons to compensate for missing bony or soft tissue landmarks. The authors provide a straightforward approach to establishing a plane of reference, allowing the facial transplant to be positioned in a proper relationship with the skull base and occlusal plane (teeth and lower face).

Optimal positioning of the facial transplant is essential not only to achieve the most normal-appearing result, but also to maximize function—particularly in eating and breathing. Dr. Caterson and colleagues emphasize that “proper positioning of the hard tissues of the allograft is the fundamental starting point for functional and aesthetic restoration.” As long as the bony structure is right, any cosmetic soft tissue problems that remain after surgery are relatively easy to correct.

The authors believe that such craniofacial principles are likely to become an increasingly important consideration—”especially with the trend toward full face transplantation.” In early experience, donor selection for face transplantation has focused mainly on immunological factors—similar to those used in organ transplantation.

In the future, transplant teams may become more sophisticated in donor selection—including assessment of the degree of “craniofacial match” between donors and recipients. In the meantime, Dr. Caterson and coauthors conclude, “[C]areful attention to the soft tissue relationships with the skeletal anatomy requires that face transplantation include ‘reverse craniofacial planning’ to optimize the form and function of the recipient’s new face.”

About The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery

The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery serves as a forum of communication for all those involved in craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery. Coverage ranges from practical aspects of craniofacial surgery to the basic science that underlies surgical practice. Affiliates include 14 major specialty societies around the world, including the American Association of Pediatric Plastic Surgeons, the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the Argentine Society of Plastic Surgery Section of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, the Asian Pacific Craniofacial Association, the Association of Military Plastic Surgeons of the U.S., the Brazilian Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, the European Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Japanese Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Korean Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Thai Cleft and Craniofacial Association, and the World Craniofacial Foundation.

About Lippincott Williams & WilkinsLippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

100 Recordings of Expert Commentary Help Professionals in the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Biotech, and Healthcare Industries Stay Current on New Regulations, Guidelines, and Developments

New York, NY (December 3, 2012) – Wolters Kluwer Health announced today a partnership with FX Conferences to provide easy access to thousands of hours of FX Conferences expert audio recordings designed for pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology and other healthcare related industries. Through the partnership, FX Conferences resources will be accessible from the OvidSP platform, one of the world’s leading information search platforms for the medical and healthcare communities.

The recordings provide users with current information on federal requirements, approval processes, and legal developments, along with practical guidance specifically for professionals in a variety of corporate industries. Topics have a global appeal and are relevant for multiple departments—R & D, Market Research, Compliance, Product Development, and more.

“We’re delighted that FX Conferences has chosen to partner with Wolters Kluwer Health,” said Andrew Richardson, Vice President of Business Development at Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research.  “Their unique selection of conference recordings complements and enriches the resources Ovid offers its corporate customer base, and provides a convenient way for global users to stay current on various US industry proceedings.”

“Wolters Kluwer Health offers us an exciting distribution channel to a broad, global customer base,” said Andres Heuberger, President of FX Conferences. “Now, with our content available on the OvidSP platform, we can help enable executives and specialists in R&D, product development, quality assurance, compliance, and other areas to stay current on the latest information to make critical product and regulatory decisions quickly.”

Each of the recordings consists of a 45-minute, telephone-based presentation delivered by expert international speakers, followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session. Ten recordings are grouped into 10 topic- and industry-specific collections and are available to Ovid customers with and without transcripts. The following collections are now available via OvidSP:

• Topics in Regulatory Affairs-Pharmaceuticals
• Topics in Clinical Trials-Pharmaceuticals
• Topics in Quality Assurance-Pharmaceuticals
• Topics in Biotechnology
• Topics in Regulatory Affairs-Medical Devices
• Topics in Clinical Trials-Medical Devices
• Topics in Quality Assurance-Medical Devices
• Topics in Food & Beverage Industry
• Topics in Legal Affairs
• Topics in HR, Leadership, Training, and Development

About FX Conferences

FX Conferences is proud to provide convenient distance learning opportunities to busy professionals. It partners with leading industry experts to provide key information and guidance on the latest challenges and hot topics, and our audio conference format makes it easy to participate from the office, at home or on the road.

FX Conferences Is the educational arm of ForeignExchange Translations. ForeignExchange supports clinical, regulatory, marketing, and training groups at the world’s largest medical device and pharmaceutical companies with specialized medical translation solutions.

About Wolters Kluwer Health

Wolters Kluwer Health (Philadelphia, PA) is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries and territories worldwide, Wolters Kluwer Health’s customers include professionals, institutions and students in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Ovid^®, Medknow, UpToDate^®, Medi-Span^®, Facts & Comparisons^®, Pharmacy OneSource^®, Lexicomp^® and ProVation^® Medical.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

Philadelphia, Pa. (December 3, 2012) – A new technology called the Pipeline embolization device (PED) shows encouraging results in patients with certain types of difficult-to-treat brain aneurysms, reports the December issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

Data collected since the PED was approved for marketing show generally good results in “real world” clinical practice. However, the report raises concerns about fatal bleeding and other serious complications, especially for aneurysms in one specific location. The lead author of the study was Dr. Peter Kan of University at Buffalo, N.Y.

Pipeline Device Shows Promising Results…

The researchers evaluated “early postmarket” results—that is, after approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—using the PED at seven surgical centers. The PED is designed for use in treating certain types of aneurysms that can’t be blocked off by surgery or other treatments, such as “wide-necked” or giant aneurysms.

An aneurysm is a weakened spot in a blood vessel wall. If the aneurysm enlarges or ruptures (breaks), it can cause a stroke or life-threatening bleeding in the brain. The study reflects the increased emphasis on collecting postmarketing data on newly approved medical devices to see if the results in initial clinical experience are comparable to those in research trials. The PED received FDA approval for use in treating specific types of brain aneurysms in 2011.

The study included 62 PED procedures performed to treat aneurysms in 56 patients. The patients’ average age was 59 years. More than 40 percent of the aneurysms were discovered incidentally, before they caused any symptoms or bleeding.

On average, it took two PEDs to treat each aneurysm. Some patients needed additional procedures related to problems deploying the PEDs. In one-fourth of aneurysms, additional “coil” treatments were used in addition to PEDs to help block off the aneurysm.

Three-month follow-up data were available for 19 patients. In 68 percent, the aneurysm was completely blocked off. Two patients had some narrowing within the Pipeline device—this was successfully treated with an additional angioplasty procedure.

…But Also Some Serious Complications

However, the data also showed substantial risks, including an 8.5 percent rate of major complications or death. Six patients had clots leading to strokes or transient ischemic attacks (“mini strokes”) after the PED procedure. Most of these patients had vertebrobasilar aneurysms—located in an area at the base of the brain where three major arteries meet.

In addition, four patients suffered bleeding, which developed up to two months after the PED procedure. Bleeding was fatal in all four cases.

Unlike surgery or other treatments for brain aneurysms, the PED does not achieve immediate occlusion. Rather, the “Pipeline” redirects blood flow away from the aneurysm and through the parent vessel. Over time, new blood vessel tissue grows across the neck of the aneurysm, blocking it off permanently.

This initial “real world” experience with the PED shows results similar to those achieved in clinical trials leading to FDA approval. Although treatment may take months to complete, the aneurysm is eventually completely occluded in most patients. Thus the PED offers an effective new option for patients with aneurysms that would previously have been difficult or impossible to treat.

The postmarketing data also show a significant risk of serious complications, including potentially fatal bleeding. Pending further study, Dr. Kan and colleagues caution against “off-label” use of the PED to treat aneurysms in the vertebrobasilar region. They conclude, “Long-term data are needed to establish long-term efficacy and to understand the delayed complications of this new technology.”

About Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery, the Official Journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, is your most complete window to the contemporary field of neurosurgery. Members of the Congress and non-member subscribers receive 3,000 pages per year packed with the very latest science, technology, and medicine, not to mention full-text online access to the world’s most complete, up-to-the-minute neurosurgery resource. For professionals aware of the rapid pace of developments in the field, Neurosurgery is nothing short of indispensable.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

New York, NY (December 3, 2012) – Wolters Kluwer Health today announced its renewed commitment to the Nestlé Foundation’s enLINK initiative, which supports the research of healthcare professionals in low-income countries to address malnutrition. In 2004, the Foundation and Ovid, part of Wolters Kluwer Health and a global provider of medical and scientific resources, collaborated to develop the enLINK electronic library, which provides students, researchers, and healthcare workers with easy access to important electronic medical and nutrition resources. With this renewed partnership, resources will be more readily accessible through OvidSP, Ovid’s medical research platform.

“Investing in any activity that promotes increased access to information has a tremendous impact; and as an organization dedicated to reducing problems of nutrition all over the world, the Nestlé Foundation initially chose Ovid to develop enLINK because of its comprehensive medical content and sophisticated technology,” commented Prof. Dr. Paolo M. Suter, the Nestle Foundation. “The resources Ovid has provided over the past eight years have been instrumental to many human nutrition research programs in the low-income countries we serve, and we’re pleased to continue our partnership with Ovid and enhance the service by offering streamlined access to the content via the OvidSP solution.”

“We’re delighted to continue our support for the Nestle Foundation’s enLINK initiative and are committed to providing important access to medical journal resources that researchers can use to educate, diagnose, and treat problems of nutrition and nutrition deficiencies,” said Jayne Marks, Vice President, Publishing at Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research. “Online access to medical resources is particularly critical for researchers and practitioners in low-income nations and we’re proud to provide our OvidSP solution of premium medical journals to support the Foundation’s efforts at correcting nutritional imbalances.”

enLINK users will have access via OvidSP to ejournal and book content to support a variety of research topics, including clinical nutrition and practice; maternal and child nutrition; breastfeeding and complementary feeding; macro- and micro-nutrient deficiencies and imbalances; interactions between infection and nutrition; and nutrition education and health promotion. Plus, users can take advantage of OvidSP’s search, alerting, and results management tools to stay current on their research activity. 

About the Nestlé Foundation
The Nestlé Foundation (http://nestlefoundation.org) for the Study of Problems of Nutrition in the World was established in 1966 by the Nestlé Company on the occasion of its centenary. It operates as an independent organization with an office in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Nestlé Foundation initiates and supports research in human nutrition with public health relevance in low and lower middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank.

About Wolters Kluwer Health

Wolters Kluwer Health (Philadelphia, PA) is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries and territories worldwide, Wolters Kluwer Health’s customers include professionals, institutions and students in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Ovid^®, Medknow, UpToDate^®, Medi-Span^®, Facts & Comparisons^®, Pharmacy OneSource^®, Lexicomp^® and ProVation^® Medical.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Connie Hughes
Director, Marketing Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health Medical Research
+1 (646) 674-6348
Connie.Hughes@wolterskluwer.com

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Nov. 6, 2012) — Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), part of Wolters Kluwer Health, today launched Bratton’s Family Medicine Board Review Powered by PrepU, an innovative new way for residents and physicians to study for the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification exam.  This new, online test-prep program makes studying for the exam more efficient than a textbook or online practice test by honing in on a physician’s areas of weakness.  The program’s practice questions are derived from Bratton’s Family Medicine Board Review, 4^th edition, one of the most widely used study texts for family medicine certification and re-certification.

Bratton’s Family Medicine Board Review Powered by PrepU is much more than just an online version of the popular Bratton textbook of practice questions. It utilizes PrepU technology to help bridge the gap between what a user knows and does not know.  As questions are answered online, the program automatically evaluates a user’s comprehension of a subject area and then ramps up the difficulty level when multiple questions are answered correctly.  This adaptive approach helps concentrate the user’s energy on areas that require the most attention.

The PrepU platform was originally developed for the education market and has been highly successful at helping students improve content knowledge in a particular course or in preparation for licensing exams.  The Bratton’s application is the first time LWW has applied the technology to a test-prep product designed exclusively for practitioners rather than students.  In developing the new Bratton’s program, LWW spent the past year conducting focus groups with family medicine residents and practicing physicians to calibrate the difficulty level for every question in the text.  The resulting product creates a more efficient way to study and is designed to better prepare practitioners for the boards.

“The new Bratton’s product allows family medicine practitioners to test their knowledge base and focus on their area of weakness so they can better prepare for the boards,” said Susan Driscoll, President and CEO, Wolters Kluwer Health, Professional & Education Division.  “This product represents a new generation of automated test-prep tools that is going to redefine how healthcare practitioners prepare for the boards., It’s all about how to focus energy in the right places so these busy, time-strapped people don’t waste any time studying things that they already know.”

Bratton’s Family Medicine Board Review Powered by PrepU includes a total of 800 questions calibrated by difficulty.  Detailed answer rationales and citations to journals or other books are also included.  The product can be purchased for $89.95 for 12-months of access from time of sale.  It is available immediately, and can be purchased by visiting LWW.com/brattons. For more information, visit LWW.com.

About PrepU

PrepU is an online adaptive assessment platform that bridges the gap between what students and medical practitioners know and what they don’t know. Built by educators, PrepU’s personalized, adaptive quizzes move students and physicians toward a better grasp of material and better grades. PrepU is part of Macmillan New Ventures, a division of global education publisher Macmillan that discovers, develops and markets innovative technologies that make learning more engaging. LWW currently offers PrepU as a support tool for 28 textbooks and e-books. For more information, go to http://thepoint.lww.com/prepu.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2011 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.7 billion).

Contacts:

Robert Dekker
Director of Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 (215) 521-8928
Robert.Dekker@wolterskluwer.com

Thomas Kivett
Managing Director
Kivett & Company Communications
+1 212-727-2935
tkivett@kivettandco.com