Editor's Note In patients having endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with a contaminated duodenoscope, biliary stent placement, a diagnosis of bile duct cancer, and hospital inpatient status were independently associated with an increased risk of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) transmission, this study finds. The findings were based on data from a 2015…

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Editor's Note The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on May 25 published a proposed rule that would amend its medical regulations to permit full practice authority without the clinical oversight of physicians to all of its advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). APRN categories include certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse…

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Editor's Note Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 27 reported the first US case of Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria that is resistant to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, Reuters reports. A 49-year old woman in Pennsylvania was found last month to have a urinary tract…

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Editor's Note Performing free colonoscopies for uninsured patients at high risk for colorectal cancer can identify cancers at an earlier stage and is cost neutral for a health system, this study finds. Of 682 uninsured patients screened, 9 cancers ( 1 stage 0, 3 stage I, 2 stage II, and…

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Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on May 23 released a new online toolkit to help healthcare organizations and providers respond when a patient is harmed. The toolkit is based on the Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) process, which is a patient-centered approach that emphasizes early…

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Editor's Note As part of the drive to reduce opioid use, rotator-cuff repairs are becoming a testing ground for alternative approaches to pain management, the May 23 Wall Street Journal reports. Because rotator-cuff surgery is one of the most painful procedures to recover from, physicians hope that if alternative painkilling…

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Editor's Note This study found that implementation of a clinical practice guideline for management of pediatric complicated appendicitis standardized practice patterns among surgeons and was associated with reduced resource use and improved patient outcomes. Compared with the pre-guideline group, patients in the post-guideline group were less likely to: receive a…

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Editor's Note In this study, patient factors, hospital case volume, and practice patterns were found to be associated with in-hospital mortality after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Of 166, 443 AAA repairs performed at 1,207 hospitals, in-hospital mortality was 0.7% for endovascular AAA repair and 3.8% for open AAA…

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Editor's Note Physicians Endoscopy, an ambulatory surgery center management company based in Jamison, Pennsylvania, is one of 12 outpatient-focused professional organizations and 10 ambulatory health care systems selected by the Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in an infection prevention initiative. The initiative, called…

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Editor's Note Fast-track total hip and knee arthroplasties with a median length of stay of 3 days and discharge to home are feasible in most patients 85 years of age or older, this study finds. Of 13,775 procedures included in the analysis: median age was 87 years and median length…

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