Ultrasonix Medical announced that it will feature its newly released Sonix CEP, a compact, portable ultrasound system designed specifically for emergency medicine, critical care and trauma situations, at RSNA 2006.

In a recent study that measured the state of electronic health record (EHR) use by doctors and hospitals, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and George Washington University (GWU) estimate that one in four doctors (24.9 percent) use EHRs to improve how they deliver care to patients. However, less than one in 10 are using what experts define as a "fully operational" system that collects patient information, displays test results, allows providers to enter medical orders and prescriptions and helps doctors make treatment decisions.

Allscripts , a provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions, has announced that North Medical P.C. in New York will deploy TouchWorks Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management to automate and connect clinical and administrative processes for 65 providers. The contract marks the largest sale of the integrated Allscripts solution.

Nonin Medical Inc. has acquired Swedish medical technology company MedAir AB. With the acquisition, MedAir, which specializes in developing and manufacturing optical equipment for medical gas analysis, has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Nonin Medical.

Forty children died from encephalitis in the past fortnight in India, taking the overall toll to 262 in two months amid nationwide outbreaks of other mosquito-borne viruses, health officials have said. "Two more children died of encephalitis overnight. The toll now is 262," senior health official Umakant Prasad told AFP Thursday in northern Uttar Pradesh state, adding the majority were children.