Editor's Note Due to its impact on a variety of organ systems, COVID-19 could elevate perioperative risks even among patients with mild symptoms, according to a study published in the February 2024 issue of Anesthesiology. Focused on patients presenting for elective inpatient surgery between April 2020 and April 2021, the…

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Editor's Note A magnetically operated robot developed by the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab in Zurich along with several hospitals in Switzerland could be used to treat people in the critical moments following a stroke to remove blockage and resume blood flow. The findings were published February 14 in the journal Science…

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Editor's Note Without proper nail care, proper handwashing might not be enough to prevent infection and death among infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). That’s according to a February 8 report from nurse.org, which drove home the importance of following hygiene protocols by highlighting real-world evidence confirming the…

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Editor's Note Billing, records, appointment scheduling and other systems at Lurie Children’s Hospital were still offline a week after representatives of had to cancel a planned OR Business Management Conference presentation due to a cyberattack. According to a February 12 report from the Chicago Sun-Times, the January 31 cyberattack is…

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Editor's Note The FDA has issued a Class I recall of Philips’ BrightView, BrightView X and BrightView XCT Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scanners due to a component failure that could result in the system’s detector falling on patients. Philips sent all affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Correction…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) on February 14 announced the recipients of the 2023 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The Awards recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. This year’s recipients are: National Level Innovation…

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Editor's Note Patients with severe cases of tricuspid regurgitation (in which a critical heart valve fails to close properly) now have a new treatment option thanks to the recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the ENVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system, according to a February 2 press release…

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Editor's Note New survey data indicate most nurses have experienced workplace violence within the past year, and the problem appears to be getting worse. Conducted by National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses, the nationwide survey gathered data from nearly 1,000 nurses working…

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Editor's Note This spring, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to announce that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to isolate if they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours and symptoms are mild or improving. Current guidelines, in place since 2021, recommend isolating for…

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Editor's Note A recent study shows show skin antisepsis with iodine povacrylex in alcohol could result in fewer surgical-site infections among patients with closed extremity fractures than antisepsis with chlorhexidine gluconate in alcohol. Published February 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study shows similar results between the…

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