Editor's Note Radiant air conditioning systems (RAS) provide greater comfort for surgical patients than traditional convection air conditioning systems (CAS), according to a Japanese study detailed in Anesthesiology News December 3.  According to the article, the study was conducted from November 2015 through March 2016 and involved 48 patients scheduled…

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Editor's Note Leading medical journals vary significantly in guidance addressing the use artificial intelligence (AI) in medical research, according to an analysis published December 3 in JAMA Network Open.   The study categorized journals’ attitudes toward AI-assisted peer review into three groups: prohibition, limited use with conditions, and lack of explicit…

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Editor's Note Two recent reports highlight a widening gap in life expectancy between the US and other high-income nations. According to a December 6 article in Healio, the data point to modifiable risk factors and rising obesity rates as key contributors to what experts call a public health crisis. The…

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Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies present the greatest technology risk to healthcare organizations in 2025, according to the latest list from ECRI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to safety in the industry. As detailed in the organization’s December 4 announcement, the annual report highlights critical risks that healthcare organizations…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) commended Anthem's reversal of a policy to deny anesthesia payment based on arbitrary time limits, which was set for February 2025 in three states. “The now-rescinded policy was inconsistent with prevailing standards, regulations and billing norms, and revealed a diminished dedication to…

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Editor's Note A recent report in Becker’s Hospital Review illuminated health systems’ efforts to address physician shortage by integrating advanced practice providers (APPs) into care models. Citing projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Becker’s noted that nurse practitioners (NPs) “are the fastest-growing occupation in the country, with employment in…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 54,000 from October to November, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), released December 6, a figure “in line” with the average monthly gain of 59,000 over the prior 12 months.  Total nonfarm employment rose by…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated Cardinal health’s recall of certain lots of the Monoject U-100 1 mL Syringe Luer-Lock with Tip Cap Soft Pack a Class 1, the most severe recall category indicating serious risk of injury or death. The product is designed to administer…

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Editor's Note A quality improvement protocol at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus resulted in a 48.8% decrease in the number of pediatric urology patients returning to the emergency department (ED) unnecessarily within 30 days of surgery. According to a December 2 university report, the initiative has significantly reduced…

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Editor's Note A cohort study conducted across 10 hospitals in the Mass General Brigham system found that stopping universal masking and SARS-CoV-2 testing significantly increased hospital-onset respiratory viral infections, while reinstating masking for healthcare workers reduced those rates. As detailed in a November 27 research letter in Jama Network Open,…

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