• Abaxis (Union City, California), manufacturer of point-of-care (POC) blood analysis systems, reported that the FDA has granted waived status under CLIA regulations for six additional analytes — Albumin, Alkaline Phosphatas, Amylase, Gamma Glutamyltransferase, Total Bilirubin and Total Protein — when used in conjunction with its Piccolo POC analyzer. The company said it now has 12 analytes that have received the CLIA waived status. The system consists of a compact, 6.9 kilogram, portable analyzer and a series of 8-cm diameter single-use plastic reagent discs that contain all the reagents necessary to perform a fixed menu of tests. Abaxis manufactures portable blood analysis systems for use in patient-care settings to provide rapid blood constituent measurements.

• VISICU (Baltimore) reported results of an analysis of 2006 severity–adjusted mortality data that indicates VISICU’s eICU Program helps save lives and improves patient outcomes. VISICU recently examined severity-adjusted ICU and hospital mortality data on patients that were cared for during 2006 in the intensive care units of 68 hospitals using the eICU Program. The average severity-adjusted ICU mortality rate was 27% better than the national average and the number of ICU patients who left the hospital alive was 20% better than the average. VISICU’s eICU Program restructures the practice of critical care by using remote monitoring technology to allow health systems to centralize scarce critical care trained staff to improve coverage and for earlier intervention to prevent or manage crises.