Walk Against Pain

Chronic pain – pain that lasts for more than 3 months – is an issue that affects an estimated 1 in 5 Australians. It is also costly, with the total cost of lost workdays, health care, and associated costs adding up to over $34 billion per year.

As a way of drawing attention to the need for further research into chronic pain, Medtronic Australia staff will be among those walking in the second annual “Walk against Pain”. The walk will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday 2nd February prior to a “Battle of the Codes” (Rugby Union versus League) Twenty/20 fundraising cricket match scheduled for that night.

Walkers in lime green t-shirts including NSW Minister for Health & Medical Research Jillian Skinner will circle the perimeter of the SCG between 4 and 6pm. They will be awarded certificates of participation by Richie Benaud OBE and ABC Grandstand’s Jim Maxwell.

The Walk Against Pain is an initiative of the Pain Management Research Institute of the University of Sydney and Royal North Shore Hospital. More information can be found here.

Knife-wielding Robots and Frankenstein’s Monster

I’ve been having a read through the book written to celebrate the 5oth anniversary of the Medtronic Mission and thought the story of the childhood of our co-founder, Earl Bakken, was worth sharing.  It can be amazing what childhood fascinations can lead to.

“Medtronic’s co-founder Earl Bakken was fascinated by electricity from an early age.  Even as a toddler, he played with wires, cords, plugs and connectors – leading an uncle to warn his encouraging mother, “That boy’s going to electrocute himself someday”.  But his mother kept Earl supplied with spare parts, and he spent much of his suburban Minneapolis childhood wiring up his own creations, such as a private telephone system to a buddy’s house and a cigarette-smoking robot.

In high school, Earl drew plans for radios, rocket ships, and futuristic houses with all the electrical wiring in place, and was the self-described go to “nerd” who took care of the public address system, movie projector, and other electrical equipment at school.

But the pivotal moment in Earl’s life came somewhat earlier, at the age of eight or nine, as he sat watching a matinée showing of Boris Karloff’s 1931 Frankenstein – the story of a “mad scientist” who brings to life a man he has created in his laboratory.  At the time, Earl was fascinated by the fact that electricity could do more than light up a room. He was still too young to understand its implications for helping others; still too young a few years later when his pastor admonished him to use his scientific skills to benefit humankind.  Yet in retrospect, these two events sparked Earl’s transformation from tinkerer to healer.”

You can access an online copy, or order a hard copy of the Medtronic Mission book here.

Vinnie Jones Hands-Only CPR

 

Over the festive season I was sent a link to this fantastic advertisement made by the British Heart Foundation.

Featuring former soccer great and movie hard man Vinnie Jones, it demonstrates a really simple way to deliver CPR – no breaths required, and pushing hard and fast on the chest to the beat of Stayin’ Alive.

Well worth a watch.  Not only is it a great ad, but one day it might help you save a life.

Sprint Fidelis on A Current Affair

We would strongly urge all patients concerned by the current media coverage of the potential Sprint Fidelis lead fractures to discuss their individual case with their treating physician.

The current media coverage does not relate to a new product hazard alert. The original alert was issued to doctors in October 2007 and several other communications have been made with doctors since then.

Patients should be assured that wherever issues are identified with products, doctors are provided with extensive information and recommendations in order to manage their patients appropriately. In the case of Sprint Fidelis, Medtronic ensured that treating practitioners were promptly provided information to allow them to exercise their clinical judgment as to whether and how to contact their patients about their leads.

Medtronic estimates more than 70,000 lives have been saved by implantable defibrillators over the past five years. Studies have shown ICDs to be 98 percent effective in treating dangerous arrhythmias that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Sprint Fidelis Lead in the Sunday Mail 11 Dec 2011

At all times patient safety is Medtronic’s top priority. As such we are committed to ensuring our products are of the highest quality and are processed through rigorous safety and technical assessment prior to distribution. However, no medical device or procedure, regardless of design, can be risk-free.

Medtronic is a clear industry leader in investing in long term monitoring studies and reporting those results for our products and responding quickly to provide information and recommendations to treating physicians and regulators where any issues are identified.

Medtronic Australasia is aware of and abides by, our obligations under TGA regulations. In the cases of Sprint Fidelis, Sigma and Kappa pacemakers, all actions have been undertaken in accordance with the TGA Uniform Recall Protocol for Therapeutic Goods (URPTG) guidelines and the TGA Adverse Events reporting requirements as per the Australian Regulatory Guidelines for Medical Devices (ARGMD).

Patients should be assured that wherever issues are identified with products, doctors are provided with extensive information and recommendations in order to manage their patients appropriately. If patients have concerns with regards to their condition their doctor is the appropriate person to discuss these concerns.