Editor's Note This study found a trend of increasing risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) for almost all surgery types when body mass index (BMI) increased from normal to morbidly obese. Of 387,919 patients analyzed in the Dutch national surveillance network PREZIES, 1% were underweight, 30% had normal weight, 40%…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on August 2 identified the recall by Centurion Medical Products of its Airway Kit containing Teleflex/Sheridan Endotracheal Tubes as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the potential for the tube connector to dislodge from the endotracheal tube,…

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Editor's Note Patients who had complex surgical procedures for cancer at community hospitals that were affiliated with top-ranked cancer hospitals were less likely to die within 90 days after surgery than patients treated at nonaffiliated hospitals, this study finds. Data for more than 14,000 Medicare patients showed 90-day mortality after…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced August 7 that the applicability of its Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation standards for telehealth organizations, which provide remote services, deploy in-person staff, and/or have equipment used between patients, is being evaluated. In the meantime, areas of noncompliance related to infection control, equipment and utility…

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Editor's Note In this study of opioid-naïve patients having major surgery, researchers found a number of patient characteristics associated with greater opioid use in the first month after surgery. Of 1,181 patients analyzed, the following were significantly associated with increased postoperative opioid consumption: younger age nonwhite race lack of college…

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Editor's Note Employment in US hospitals fell by 0.04% (2,100 jobs) in July to a seasonally adjusted 5,238,900, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on August 2. That’s still up 93,000 more employees than a year ago. Overall, healthcare employment has increased 405,300 in the past year. The overall unemployment…

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Editor's Note In this study, human performance deficiencies were identified in more than half of surgical adverse events, and they were most commonly associated with cognitive errors. Of 5,365 surgical procedures analyzed, adverse events occurred in 188 patients. A total of 106 adverse events (56.4%) were because of human error,…

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Editor's Note Contaminated duodenoscopes have transmitted drug-resistant infections to hundreds of patients, and now some experts are urging the Food & Drug Administration to force manufacturers to develop duodenoscopes that can be properly sterilized or single-use duodenoscopes or take duodenoscopes off the market, the August 6 New York Times Reports.…

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Editor's Note In this study, aggressive pulmonary treatment after surgery with oscillation and lung expansion (OLE) reduced the rate of postoperative pulmonary complications in high-risk patients having open thoracic, aortic, or upper abdominal surgery. A total of 419 patients (209 with OLE treatment and 210 without) were included in the…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on August 5 identified the recall by Abbott (formerly St Jude Medical Inc) of its Ellipse Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because electrical failures have been identified that are due to a faulty manufacturing process…

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