Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on August 27 updated its guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by healthcare personnel caring for suspected and confirmed Ebola patients. The guidance clarifies the use of fluid-resistant and impermeable gowns and coveralls and provides additional explanation on:…

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Editor's Note A proposed law would require ASCs and hospitals to install surveillance cameras in their ORs. Whether they are a good idea or not depends on why they are there, according to an editorial in Outpatient Surgery Magazine. If they are intended to enhance performance and find out why…

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Editor's Note ECRI Institute is offering a new robotic surgery planning service that gives hospitals an independent second opinion when starting or expanding a robotic surgery program.  The service focuses on:  Strategic planning  Quality and training  Financial assessment.   The high costs, risks, and questionable patient outcomes associated with robotic…

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Editor's Note Robotic-assisted cardiac surgery had significantly reduced length of stay, complications, and mortality compared with nonrobotic surgery in this study. Robotic-assisted had a higher median cost than nonrobotic surgery ($39,030 vs $36,340). The results show that robotic-assisted is as safe as nonrobotic cardiac surgery and offers surgeons an additional…

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Editor's Note The rate of major complications was significantly higher in Canada than the US after total knees, but there was no significant difference after total hips, this study finds. US patients also had substantially shorter lengths of stay, which perhaps reflects more efficient postoperative care and discharge planning, the…

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Editor's Note Characteristics of total hip replacements (THRs) were found to be related to early prosthetic revision in this French study.  Antibiotic-free cemented and antibiotic-impregnated cemented THRs were compared with uncemented. Ceramic-on-ceramic, ceramic-on-polyethylene, and metal-on-metal THRs were compared with metal-on-polyethylene.  The antibiotic-impregnated cemented THRs had a better prognosis than uncemented,…

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Editor's Note Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California, alerted health authorities on August 19 to a suspected outbreak of bacterial infections associated with contaminated duodenoscopes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Three patients with Pseudomonas bacterial infections had procedures with Olympus duodenoscopes. The bacteria are similar to the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae superbug at…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on August 18 posted a warning to alert health care professionals not to administer compounded or repackaged drugs stored in 3 mL and 5 mL syringes manufactured by Becton-Dickinson unless there is no suitable alternative.  Preliminary information indicates that drugs stored in these…

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Editor's Note Wednesday, August 19, is National ASC Day, and ambulatory surgery centers across the country will be celebrating by hosting elected officials, key policymakers, the press, and members of the public in their centers. Administrators, nurses, physicians, and policymakers gain valuable experience learning about one another, which will ultimately…

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Editor's Note Security issues have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to extend the deadline from September 24 to October 24, 2015, for filing required data and labeling information for the Unique Device Identification system (UDI). The extension applies to implantable life-supporting and life-sustaining devices as well as Class III…

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