Iran Health Exhibition 1403 As the largest and most important event in the field of medical, dental, laboratory, pharmaceutical equipment and services in the region, where a large number of capable companies are present every year, Iran Health Exhibition is a great opportunity for active domestic and international companies. In this industry, their achievements and products are exposed to more than 25,000 expert visitors and industry practitioners, and by taking into account market demand trends and the direction of this growth, the industry guides its future activities and innovations.
In celebration of National Diabetes Week, blood sugar measurements were conducted for the employees at Hitco Group as a diabetes screening initiative. The aim of this activity was to raise awareness about the risk factors for diabetes, emphasize the importance of a healthy diet, and encourage regular medical check-ups. It is hoped that by carrying out such activities, we can take effective steps towards raising awareness and promoting the health of our esteemed colleagues at Hitco.
The Fourth International Congress on Diabetes Management took place on the 9th and 10th of November at the Institute of Nutritional Research and Food Industries of the country.
The congress, featuring prominent domestic and international speakers and more than 300 participants, including endocrinologists, internal medicine specialists, and distinguished diabetologists, was conducted in the form of workshops.
The main topics of the congress, focused on diabetic patients, included:
Cardiovascular diseases
Control of cardiovascular diseases
Lifestyle modification and improvement
Latest developments in diabetes control in type 1 and 2 patients
In this event, Rasta Imen Darou Company, with the Apotex brand as one of its main supporters, introduced its Apometformin product to healthcare professionals. Additionally, Dr. Saeed Kalbasi, an endocrinology specialist representing the Apotex brand, presented a workshop on the management of pre-diabetic patients.
Rasta Imen Darou Company, the official representative of Apotex Canada, as a continuous supplier of Apometformin through local production, is a supporter of diabetic patients. Moreover, by participating in educational workshops for physicians, it aims to enhance the general knowledge of the community in this field. For this purpose, it welcomes educational programs such as Gabric Vida.
In the 20th conference of the Scientific Association of Iranian Pharmacists, Dr. Mohammad Askari, CEO of the Red Crescent Medical Supply Organization, visited Hitco’s booth.
In this visit, the products of Hitco Holding’s subsidiary companies were introduced to him by Dr. Kamali, CEO of Hitco Holding. The products provided by Hitco Holding’s subsidiary companies included cosmetics, sports supplements, food supplements, and medical equipment.
This conference was opened with the presence of Dr. Seyed Heydar Mohammadi, the head of the Food and Drug Organization. After the opening ceremony, in his first visit, he visited the booths of the Health Investment Tamin Group (Hitco).
In this visit, the products of Hitco Holding’s subsidiary companies were introduced to him by Dr. Kamali, CEO of Hitco Holding.
The products provided by Hitco Holding’s subsidiary companies included cosmetics, sports supplements, food supplements, and medical equipment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers and health care providers to stop using and throw out certain lots of recalled SD Biosensor, Inc. Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests, distributed by Roche Diagnostics. The FDA has significant concerns of bacterial contamination in the Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test liquid solution, provided in the test kit. Direct contact with the contaminated liquid solution may pose safety concerns and the bacterial contamination could impact the performance of the test.
SD Biosensor, Inc. has initiated a recall for all impacted SD Biosensor Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests that were distributed by Roche Diagnostics to certain retailers in the United States. Approximately 500,000 tests were distributed to CVS Health, as well as about 16,000 tests to Amazon. The FDA is working with Roche Diagnostics to understand how many of those tests were sold to consumers.
Importantly, none of the impacted lots were distributed through COVID.gov/tests – Free at-home COVID-19 tests or as part of other federal testing programs. If you received your tests through the COVID.gov/tests distribution or as part of other federal testing programs, they are not subject to this safety communication or product recall.
The FDA is advising consumers to stop using and throw out Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test kits with the following lot numbers:
Recommendations for Consumers, Test Users, and Caregivers
Check to see if your SD Biosensor Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test is included in the SD Biosensors product recall by comparing the lot number.
Do not use test kits with the affected lot numbers listed above. Throw out the entire test kit in the household trash. Do not pour the liquid solution down the drain. Additional information can be found in the Quick Reference Instructions for patients.
If the liquid in the tube contacts your skin and eyes, flush with large amounts of water. If irritation persists, seek medical attention.
Watch for signs of bacterial infection caused by exposure to the contaminated liquid solution. If you see signs of infection, such as fever, discharge, red eyes, or any other concerning symptoms, seek medical attention.
Talk to your health care provider if you think you were tested with an affected Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test, or if you have concerns about your test results.
Recommendations for Health Care Providers and Testing Program Organizers
If an antigen test was performed less than two weeks ago using the Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test, consider retesting your patients using an FDA authorized or cleared SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test if you suspect an inaccurate result. If testing was performed more than two weeks ago and there is no reason to suspect current SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is not necessary to retest.
If a patient presents with signs of bacterial infection, such as fever, conjunctivitis, or other signs or symptoms of systemic infection, consider whether they have recently used a Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test. If they have, consider whether their infection may be from exposure to the contaminated buffer solution.
Report any problems you experience with the Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test to the FDA, including suspected false results. See Reporting Problems with Your Test.
Potential Risks
The liquid solution provided in the affected Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test kits has been found to be contaminated with organisms such as Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Serratia species. Individuals performing the self-test may run the risk of direct contact with the contaminated liquid in the tube. The liquid is contained in an individual, ready-to-use, pre-filled and sealed tube, but a user may inadvertently come in direct contact with contaminated liquid buffer during opening the tube or handling of the open tube or while performing the test.
Infection from bacteria such as Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Serratia species may cause illness in people with weakened immune systems or those with direct exposure to the contaminated liquid solution through standard handling, accidental spills, or misuse of the product.
In addition to the risk of infection, this contamination may impact the performance of the test, and false results may occur.
A false-negative antigen test result means that the test says the person does not have COVID-19 but they actually do have COVID-19. A false-negative result may lead to delayed diagnosis or inappropriate treatment of SARS-CoV-2, which may cause people harm including serious illness and death. False-negative results can also lead to further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including when people are housed together in health care, long-term care, and other facilities due to these false test results. When false negative test results are received, actions to limit exposure to an infected person might not be taken, such as isolating people, limiting contact with family and friends, or limiting access to places of employment.
A false-positive antigen test result means that the test says the person has COVID-19 but they actually do not have COVID-19. A false-positive result may lead to a delay in both the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment for the actual cause of a person’s illness, which could be another life-threatening disease that is not COVID-19. False-positive results could also lead to further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus when presumed positive people are housed together.
The FDA has not received reports of injuries, adverse health consequences, or death associated with use of the SD Biosensor Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test to date.
Puts patients at risk for healthcare-associated infections
When prescription medicines are obtained or used illegally, it is called drug diversion. Healthcare providers who steal prescription medicines or controlled substances such as opioids for their own use put patients at risk.
This can result in several types of patient harm, including:
Substandard care delivered by an impaired healthcare provider
Denial of essential pain medication or therapy
Risks of infection (e.g., with hepatitis C virus or bacterial pathogens) if a provider tampers with injectable drugs
Addiction to prescription narcotics has reached epidemic proportions and is a major driver of drug diversion.
Outbreaks Associated with Drug Diversion
CDC and state and local health departments have assisted in the investigation of infection outbreaks stemming from drug diversion activities that involved healthcare providers who tampered with injectable drugs.
New estimates published last week in The Lancet indicate that more than 1·31 billion people worldwide could be living with diabetes by 2050. The data confirms diabetes as one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, affecting people regardless of country, age group, or sex. The increase in prevalence is expected to be driven by increases in type 2 diabetes, which in turn will be caused by a rise in the prevalence of obesity and by demographic shifts.
Location-specific, age-specific, and sex-specific estimates of diabetes prevalence and impact were produced for the period 1990-2021 using the most recent evidentiary and analytical framework from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD).
IDF Diabetes Atlas co-chairs Professors Dianna Magliano and Edward Boyko contributed* to the The Lancet article and provided the following comment on the GBD study estimates:
The Global Burden of Disease Study estimates confirm how common diabetes has become with over a half a billion people affected in 2021 and no country spared from the pandemic. The GBD study estimate of 529 million people living with diabetes in 2021 is supported not only by the rigorous methodology which produced it, but also by its agreement with the global estimate of 537 million published in the IDF Diabetes Atlas 10th Edition in December 2021. The GBD study projects an increase to 1.31 billion by 2050, which represents a more than two-fold increase in diabetes cases worldwide. As a point of comparison, the IDF Diabetes Atlas 10th edition also predicted a substantial increase in the number of diabetes cases to 783 million by 2045, among adults aged 20-79.
Both set of estimates portend a sobering global situation and provide stimulus to call our governments into action to find new ways to prevent diabetes and improve diabetes care. This is especially important for the regions of the world where the impact of diabetes will be the largest. The IDF Diabetes Atlas team commend the GBD authors on this work and their continued dedication to improving the lives of people with diabetes.
*The IDF Diabetes Atlas co-chairs contributed to the article but had no role in the analytic process that produced the published estimates.
