How will you mark AORN’s National Time Out Day?
Editor's Note AORN encourages perioperative leaders to speak up and reach out in honor of National Time Out Day, an annual recognition of the critical safety practice scheduled for June 12. The annual day of recognition draws attention to the need for everyone on the surgical team to pause before…
Healthcare employment up in May
Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 68,000 from May to June, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released on June 7. That is compared to an overall monthly gain of 272,000 in May. In May, healthcare employment also trended up in: ambulatory…
Study: standard preoperative fasting guidelines safe for GLP-1 patients
Editor's Note Preoperative use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (RA) medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy is safe, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Controversy has swirled around these drugs due to the risk of slowed stomach emptying increasing a patient’s odds…
AI analysis suggest breast cancer surgery “may do more harm than good” for middle-aged patients
Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled analysis of electronic health records suggests that clinical guidelines for de-escalating surgery should be extended to younger breast cancer patients. Conducted by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers and published in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, the analysis suggests that “surgery involving sentinel…
AI promises to eliminate unnecessary breast cancer biopsies
Editor's Note An AI model that outperformed MRI and ultrasound in identifying patients with axillary breast cancer metastasis shows the technology’s potential to reduce the need for needle or surgical biopsies, according to developers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. In a May 21 report on their new AI model, researchers…
Ascension set to restore electronic health record after cyberattack
Editor's Note Ascension, a 140-hospital, St. Louis-based health system disrupted by a May 8 cyberattack, has announced that its electronic medical record (EHR) will be restored by June 14. Becker’s Health IT reported the news June 5. According to that article, the restoration of systems comes after medical records have…
FDA designates Class I recall for neurosurgery software
Editor's Note The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has classified Medtronic’s recall of its StealthStation S8 software as a Class I, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. The StealthStation System with StealthStation Cranial software is intended as an aid for locating anatomical structures during…
Doctors hit by cyberattack seek legal action against UnitedHealth
Editor's Note Doctors are urging the American Medical Association (AMA) to take legal action or otherwise help recoup their losses from the February 21 Cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a division of United HealthGroup. Forbes reported the news June 3. The article cites a a resolution before the AMA’s reference committee on amendments…
The Joint Commission proposes revisions to IC requirements for office-based surgery, ambulatory healthcare programs
Editor's Note The Joint Commission is set to revise the Infection Prevention and Control (IC) chapter requirements for both office-based surgery (OBS) practices and ambulatory healthcare (AHC) organizations, effective July 1, 2025. These revisions aim to streamline the IC chapter, focusing on essential structures and processes that support quality and…
Louisiana lawmakers propose surgical castration for sex offenders
Editor's Note Pending legislation in Louisiana could enable judges to order surgical castration for sex offenses involving young children, the Associated Press reported June 3. If Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signs the bill, Louisiana would become the first state to do so, although it and other states allow chemical castration.…