Analysis: Hospital safety, quality measures surpass pre-pandemic levels
Editor's Note An American Hospital Association (AHA) analysis of data from Vizient reveals that hospital performance levels in the first quarter of this year was on par with performance prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite patients exhibiting more significant healthcare needs. Released this month, the report analyzes data from 2019…
FDA: Class 1 infusion system recall expanded
Editor's Note B. Braun Medical Inc. has expanded last yearโs recall of lnfusomat Space Infusion Pump systems to include more models. Designated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Class 1โthe most serious category indicating risk of severe injury or deathโthe recall was motivated by the risk of…
Anesthesia staffing, communication, patient safety: Q&A with OR Manager Conference speakers
Editor's Note Capacity issues persist within the anesthesia workforce, leaving perioperative leaders tasked with maintaining efficient operations and safe practices for patients through surgery. We spoke with leaders from SCA Health, Stormont Vail Health, and Heartland Anesthesia & Consulting to find out other challenges anesthesia providers are facing, and how…
FDA designates Class 1 recall for infusion system components
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated Fresenius Kabiโs recall of certain Ivenix infusion system components as Class 1, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. According to the agencyโs September 16 announcement, the recalled items consist of a certain lot (3010538)…
WHO, Joint Commission mark World Patient Safety Day
Editor's Note In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), The Joint Commission and The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International (JCI) invite organizations, health professionals, patients, and their advocates to recognize World Patient Safety Day Tuesday, September 17. This yearโs theme is โimproving diagnosis for patient safety.โ This theme…
Study: COVID-19 boosts risk of postoperative complications, longer hospital stays for emergency surgery patients
Editor's Note A recent study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in India showed concurrent COVID-19 infection on patients undergoing emergency surgery resulted in notably longer hospital stays and higher rates of postoperative complications. Published September 8 in Cureus, the retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 48 COVID-19-positive patients and…
Joint Commission International launches healthcare sustainability certification for global organizations
Editor's Note Joint Commission International (JCI) and the International Hospital Federation's Geneva Sustainability Centre (GSC) have introduced a new Healthcare Sustainability Certification (HSC) for healthcare organizations outside the U.S., according to a September 11 report from The Joint Commission. The goal of the new initiative is to address the nearly…
Study: Right-sized donor livers scarce for female cancer patients
Editor's Note A recent study in JAMA Surgery showed women with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were 8% less likely than men to receive a liver transplant and 6% more likely to die or be removed from the waitlist, Healio reported September 9. ย ย The study, which analyzed 31,725 adults waitlisted for…
NYU Langone surgeons complete first fully robotic lung transplant in US
Editor's Note Surgeons at NYU Langone Health used a da Vinci X robotic system throughout an entire lung transplant procedure for the first time in the US and the third time in the world, DotMed reported September 11. Led by Dr. Stephanie Chang, the surgery offered a fast, minimally invasive…
Study: C-sections more likely for black women
Editor's Note Research shows black women are 25% more likely to undergo cesarean sections (C-sections) than white women, even when presenting similar medical histories, The New York Times reported September 10. The article focuses on a study analyzing nearly one million births across 68 New Jersey hospitals. Conducted between 2008…