HHS report finds US hospitals in crisis
Editor's report A new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on March 23 details how the COVID-19 pandemic has created new problems and worsened existing issues at US hospitals, leaving staff frustrated, exhausted, and burned out. Among the problems outlined…
FDA: Class I recall of Medtronic Affinity Pixie Oxygenator and Cardiotomy/Venous Reservoir with Balance Biosurface
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 24, identified the recall by Medtronic of its Affinity Pixie Oxygenator and Cardiotomy/Venous Reservoir with Balance Biosurface as Class I, the most serious. The recall was issued because of potentially elevated levels of harmful bacterial endotoxins. Use of a device…
Sexist, racial/ethnic microaggressions against surgeons, anesthesiologists
Editor's Note The findings of this study from the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Irvine, suggest that there is a high prevalence of microaggressions that stigmatize female and racial/ethnic-minority surgeons and anesthesiologists and contribute to unhealthy surgical workplaces and physician burnout. Of 588 (259 female, 329 male) respondents to a…
The Joint Commission releases 2020 sentinel event statistics
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on March 24, released its sentinel event statistics for 2020, which totaled 794. The top five most frequently reported events were: Falls: 170 Unintended retention of a foreign object: 106 Suicide: 81 Delay in treatment: 76 Wrong-site surgery: 68. The Joint Commission’s Office of Quality…
Protective effects of surgical masks, face shields, combination of both
Editor's Note In this study from Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, researchers found that surgical masks alone surpassed protection by face shields, and a combination of both was similar to surgical masks alone. Researchers simulated human speaking to examine the transmission of aerosols using blood agar plates (simulating…
Kentucky is third state to enact legislation on surgical smoke evacuation
Editor's Note AORN announced on March 24 that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had signed into law new legislation that will require licensed hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to adopt and implement policies to prevent human exposure to surgical smoke. AORN’s government affairs team and Kentucky AORN members worked closely with…
Survey: Healthcare workers’ intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccine
Editor's Note This survey by researchers at the Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, shows a trend of increased intention by healthcare workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 16,292 employees completed the survey, for a response rate of 68.5%. During the period of survey data collection, the researchers…
FDA: Class I recall of ACIST Kodama Intravascular Ultrasound Catheter
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 17, identified the recall by ACIST of its Kodama Intravascular Ultrasound Catheter as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the O-ring housing tubing may squeeze and damage the O-ring. If there is damage, broken O-ring pieces…
Emergence of antibodies against COVID-19 variants after infection, vaccination
Editor's Note This study by researchers from Emory University in Atlanta and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston finds the presence of neutralizing activity of infection- and vaccine-elicited antibodies against COVID-19 variants. The variants included in the analysis were: A.1 (closely resembles Wuhan strain) B.1 (predominant strain found…
ANA, WHO extend 'Year of the Nurse' into 2021
Editor's Note The American Nurses Association (ANA) is joining with the World Health Organization (WHO) in extending the "Year of the Nurse" into 2021. This extension builds on the recognition of nurses’ contributions in fighting COVID-19 and ANA’s expansion of National Nurses Week to National Nurses Month in May. The…