Defibrillators have been a hot topic lately, so let's recap:
 

• After telling makers of CT scanners to step up their efforts, FDA has now honed in on defibrillators in the hope of improving their design, safety, and effectiveness. These devices have been the subject of a number of recalls, and regulators say that malfunctions may have contributed to patient harm or death.
• FDA has launched an initiative to foster the development of safer and more effective defibrillators through improved design and manufacturing practices. The initiative begins with a public meeting on Dec. 15–16, 2010, at FDA's headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.
• Some researchers say that these devices aren't as useful in hospitals as they are in public places. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (and also reported at the American Heart Association's meeting currently under way in Chicago) says that defibrillators actually increase the risk of death in the hospital setting.
   

—Lawrence Lloyd