FDA: Class I recall of Teleflex Iso-Gard Filter S
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 1 identified the recall of Teleflex’s Iso-Gard Filter S as Class I, the most serious. Iso-Gard filters are breathing circuit bacterial filters that are connected to respiratory equipment or breathing systems in operating rooms and ICUs. The recall was initiated…
Benchmark Questionnaire on OR Operations Best Practices—Part 1 Now Open
Editor's Note There is scarce information currently available about perioperative industry averages and OR operations best practices. OR Manager, as the leading source where perioperative managers and directors go to find answers to current problems, is leading the effort to pool information for both inpatient and outpatient facilities in 7…
Wildfire smoke linked to adverse events in pediatric patients under anesthesia
Editor's Note This study from the University of California San Francisco finds that pediatric patients with risk factors for respiratory complications had a greater incidence of adverse events under general anesthesia during periods of unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke. A total of 625 pediatric patients were included in…
FDA issues Safety Communication on tracheostomy tube shortages
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 31 issued a Medical Device Safety Communication on tracheostomy tube shortages. Included in the shortages are Bivona tracheostomy tubes manufactured by ICU Medical, which are more likely to affect pediatric patients. Also on the shortage list are JOH Tube Tracheostomy…
CHG irrigation performed best in intraop treatment of bone tumors
Editor's Note This experimental study, led by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, finds that chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is the most effective irrigation solution for use as part of the surgical treatment of bone tumors. Cultures of two types of bone tumors (giant cell and chondrosarcoma) were treated with…
FDA: Five companies are having amoxicillin shortages
Editor's Note As of November 1, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed 26 amoxicillin products on its current drug shortages site. The FDA says increased demand is the largest cause of the shortage. The FDA does not list resupply dates, but the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) estimates…
CMS penalizes 2,273 hospitals for high readmission rates, lowest since 2014
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, evaluated more than 2 years of readmission cases for Medicare patients and penalized 2,273 hospitals, Kaiser Health News November 1 reports. This is the lowest number of penalties since 2014. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction…
Mental healthcare demand at Mass Gen caused ‘unprecedented’ backlog
Editor's Note Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass Gen) in Boston this summer saw an “unprecedented” surge in demand for mental healthcare services, culminating in a “staggering 880 people on its waitlist for psychiatric services,” The Washington Post October 29 reports. According to the article, Mass Gen had to issue a letter…
Study: 14% of adult COVID-19 patients experience long-term symptoms
Editor's Note JAMA Network published a research article on October 27 showing the long-term effects of COVID-19 on adults in the US and evaluating vaccine effectiveness for lasting symptoms, Health Leaders Media October 28 reports. The World Health Organization defines symptoms that last for at least 2 months post-infection as…
Five healthcare organizations raising nurses’ pay
Editor's Note Becker’s Hospital Review on October 25 reported that the following five hospitals and healthcare systems have announced plans to raise nurses’ pay. The five are: Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune City, New Jersey—union contract pay increase between 8% and 11% UMass Memorial Health, Worcester, Massachusetts—union contract pay…