FDA to Make Decision on RU-486
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to decide by Saturday whether it will approve the abortion pill, RU-486. It would be the first alternative to surgical abortion approved in the US.
The drug, sold in Europe and elsewhere for more than a decade, allows women to terminate pregnancy within seven weeks of their last period. Opponents of legal abortion have argued that the pill could be more dangerous than surgical abortions, causing severe bleeding in about 2% of women and incomplete abortions in 5% to 8%, requiring women to have surgical abortions to complete the procedure.
The drug's maker, the Roussel Ucalf of Hoechst A.G., decided against marketing approval in the US fearing protests. However, in 1994, the company gave the drug's patent to a nonprofit group, the Population Council. Six months ago, Danco Laboratories, a company formed to market the drug for the Population Council, submitted its application to the FDA. For more information visit www.fda.gov.
Top 7 Infection Control Today Articles of 2024: Insights and Innovations
December 30th 2024From advanced sterilization methods to combating antimicrobial resistance, Infection Control Today’s top articles of 2024 delivered actionable strategies for safer healthcare environments and improved patient outcomes.
Revolutionizing Infection Prevention: How Fewer Hand Hygiene Observations Can Boost Patient Safety
December 23rd 2024Discover how reducing hand hygiene observations from 200 to 50 per unit monthly can optimize infection preventionists' time, enhance safety culture, and improve patient outcomes.
Redefining Competency: A Comprehensive Framework for Infection Preventionists
December 19th 2024Explore APIC’s groundbreaking framework for defining and documenting infection preventionist competency. Christine Zirges, DNP, ACNS-BC, CIC, FAPIC, shares insights on advancing professional growth, improving patient safety, and navigating regulatory challenges.
Addressing Post-COVID Challenges: The Urgent Need for Enhanced Hospital Reporting Metrics
December 18th 2024Explore why CMS must expand COVID-19, influenza, and RSV reporting to include hospital-onset infections, health care worker cases, and ER trends, driving proactive prevention and patient safety.
