Association of COVID-19 booster and Omicron in the NBA
Editor's Note This study, led by researchers at IQVIA, Durham, North Carolina, finds that in a young, healthy, highly vaccinated cohort of players and staff in the National Basketball Association (NBA), booster vaccinations were associated with a significant reduction in COVID-19 infections during the Omicron wave. Of 2,613 players and…
FDA: Class I recall of Atrium Medical’s iCast Covered Stent
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 2 identified the recall by Atrium Medical Corporation of its iCast Covered Stent System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of increased complaints about the separation of the balloon or catheter hub from the delivery…
Report: Ransomware attacks on healthcare facilities up by 94% globally
Editor's Note According to a report from cybersecurity firm Sophos, titled “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2022” and published in May 2022, ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations have increased by 94% “year over year” globally, Becker’s Health IT June 6 reports. The report includes findings from an “independent, vendor-agnostic…
Changes in cancer screening during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from the American Cancer Society, Atlanta, finds that the prevalence of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening decreased during COVID-19. A total of 479,248 patients were included in the analysis for breast cancer screening, 301,453 for cervical cancer screening, and 854,210 for colorectal cancer screening. Between…
Healthcare employment up in May
Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in May to a seasonally adjusted 16,267,900 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on June 3. That’s up 28,300 since April. Hospital employment also was up by 16,300 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for May was 3.6%, for a…
CCI announces DEI award program, application deadline
Editor's Note The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Award Program from the Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) is designed to facilitate access to resources and increase diversity in the perioperative nursing specialty. Using credentialing assets, the program focuses on providing resources for individuals and facilities which are under-resourced, in-need, and/or…
Effect of COVID-19 disruptions to in-person care after TKA
Editor's Note This study from the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, finds that halting in-person office visits and physical therapy (PT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) because of COVID-19 did not affect complication rates or outcomes. A total of 624 study patients who had a TKA between January…
Joint Commission-accredited ASCs report increased return on investment
Editor's Note The Joint Commission reported on June 1 that a new independent study of 161 Joint Commission-accredited ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) finds that for each dollar invested in accreditation, an organization has that dollar returned along with an additional $6.28 in benefits. Key areas of financial return include: Revenue,…
Association of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy with COVID-19 risk in infants
Editor's Note This Norwegian study finds that maternal COVID-19 vaccination during the second or third trimester of pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of COVID-19 within the first 4 months of life of their infants. Of 21,643 infants analyzed, 9,739 (45%) were born to women who received a second…
FDA: Class I recall of Arjo Sara Plus lift
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 27 identified the recall of the ArjoHuntleigh Polska Sara Plus floor lift as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of smoke or fire if the lift is used when the battery is low.…