Â鶹ŮÓÅ

The nation’s health care providers are under orders to start using a new system of medical codes to describe illnesses and injuries in more detail than ever before. The codes will cover common ailments: Did a diabetic also have kidney disease? But also included are some that are far less common: whether the patient was crushed by a crocodile or sucked into a jet engine. (Pear, 9/13)

Today, the stethoscope remains a fixture in medicine, draped around the shoulders of doctors. It's also overdo for a makeover. Now Eko Devices, a Silicon Valley start-up, has received federal Food and Drug Administration approval for its digital stethoscope, which brings the power of modern technology to an already essential device. The implications could be huge for patient care. (McFarland, 9/11)