Short Takes – 10-17-24

IV shortage ‘creates havoc’ for hospitals, exposing supply chain ‘whack-a-mole’. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““So now you have consolidated manufacturing for essential medicines in a small number of large manufacturing facilities, and when those go down, you take out a very large percentage of the market,” former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Tuesday on CNBC.”

Temporary Policies for Compounding Certain Parenteral Drug Products; Guidance for Industry; Availability. Federal Register FDA notice. Summary: “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry entitled “Temporary Policies for Compounding Certain Parenteral Drug Products.” As of October 10, 2024, pursuant to the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Becerra has determined that public health emergencies (PHEs) exist as a result of the consequences of Hurricane Helene in the States of North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, and as a result of the consequences of Hurricane Milton in the State of Florida. In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene had a devastating impact on one of the largest manufacturers of certain intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions in the United States. This guidance describes the FDA's regulatory and enforcement priorities regarding the compounding of certain parenteral drug products by outsourcing facilities and by State-licensed pharmacies and Federal facilities that are not registered with FDA as outsourcing facilities.”

Hurricane Helene Damage Strains Dialysis Care Nationwide. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “The eight-page guidance document that Watnick worked on helps doctors navigate which patients can medically handle either performing dialysis fewer days per week, having less fluid pumped into their abdominal lining or when that fluid can sit in their abdominal lining for less time than it normally would.”

New technologies are emerging that can convert CO2 into fuel, but what impact will they have on water resources? NewsWise.com article. Pull quote: “The study found that the freshwater impacts of refining SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] varied greatly depending on the region and production method. For example, SAF production had minimal effects on local water resources in Iowa and Louisiana but posed a much greater strain on water supplies in West Texas and parts of California. Generally, eastern and corn-belt states were better suited for SAF production based on water resource availability. Researchers also found that using reclaimed water to produce SAF or hydrogen fuel could significantly reduce freshwater demand, relieve local water stress and increase freshwater availability. These findings aim to guide industry stakeholders in making informed decisions and developing strategies to mitigate risks while enhancing the sustainability of CO2 utilization technologies.”

All the Ways Hurricane Milton Made History. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “The storm underwent an extremely rapid intensification as it churned across the Gulf, gaining more than 90 mph in wind speeds over the course of just 24 hours. It shattered the scientific definition of rapid intensification, which the National Weather Service describes as an increase of 35 mph in a single day.”

ANTIRTOS: No RTOS Needed. Hackaday.com article. Pull quote: “The idea behind the project is not to use an RTOS at all but to manage tasks deterministically by utilizing multiple queues of function pointers. The work results in an ultra-lightweight task management library targeting embedded platforms, whether Arduino-based or otherwise. It’s pure C++, so it generally doesn’t matter. The emphasis is on rapid interrupt response, which is, we know, critical to a good embedded design. Implemented as a single header file that is less than 350 lines long, it is not hard to understand (provided you know C++ templates!) and easy to extend to add needed features as they arise. A small code base also makes debugging easier. A vital point of the project is the management of delay routines. Instead of a plain delay(), you write a custom version that executes your short execution task queue, so no time is wasted. Of course, you have to plan how the tasks are grouped and scheduled and all the data flow issues, but that’s all the stuff you’d be doing anyway.”

FEMA workers threatened by armed group in Tennessee. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Fraley suspects the group that confronted Elder is from North Carolina. According to other sheriffs he’s spoken to, they’ve been causing these problems on both sides of the state line and it’s unacceptable.”