FDA reduces N95 decontamination cycles from 20 to 4
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA), on January 22, lowered the number of times an N95 mask can be cleaned and reused to 4, down from a previous maximum of 20 reuses, the January 25 Fierce Biotec reports. The FDA reissued emergency use authorizations for 10 N95 decontamination…
Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric anesthesiologists
Editor's Note This survey of members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia finds that COVID-19 has affected the personal and professional lives of pediatric anesthesiologists, with women and non-whites disproportionately affected. Of 561 respondents: 21.7% planned to change their clinical responsibilities, and 10.6% planned to decrease their professional working time…
Survey finds 71% of employees concerned about vaccine side effects
Editor's Note A Welltok survey of 1,000 adults across the US finds that 71% of employees are worried about COVID-19 vaccine side effects, 60% of Americans have a vaccine brand preference, and 52% are worried about the vaccine supply, the January 25 Human Resource Executive reports. Employers, who are seen…
Pandemic fatigue affecting mitigation efforts
Editor's Note This study, led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, analyzed survey responses from 7,705 participants between April 1 and November 24, 2020, on their attitudes and resistance toward COVID-19 mitigation efforts. All US regions experienced decreases in COVID-19 mitigation efforts during this time period,…
FDA revises EUAs for N95 decontamination systems
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on January 21 reissued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for 10 systems used to decontaminate N95 respirators used by healthcare personnel . The 10 systems are: Michigan State University Decontamination System Technical Safety Services VHP Decontamination System Stryker Sustainability Solutions VHP Decontamination System STERIS…
CDC: Anaphylactic reactions after first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
Editor's Note From December 14 to 23, 2020, after administration of 1,893,360 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 21 case reports of anaphylaxis. Of those, 4 (19%) were hospitalized (including 3 in intensive care), and 17 (81%) were treated in…
More than 800 rural hospitals at risk of closure
Editor's Note A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reforms finds more than 800 rural hospitalsโ40% of rural hospitals in the USโare either at immediate or high risk of closure. The more than 300 rural hospitals at high risk of closure have low financial reserves or high…
OR Manager and LeanTaaS Announce a Collaborative Optimized Operating Room Learning Platform
Rockville, MD: OR Manager today announced a partnership with LeanTaaS, a leading Silicon Valley based technology innovator that transforms patient access and operational performance , to launch a platform that allows perioperative and hospital leaders, surgeons, and anesthesiologists to gain timely access to proven processes, policies, and innovative technologies that…
New negative-pressure ventilator to help treat COVID-19 patients
Editor's Note A new negative-pressure ventilatory support device, similar to the โiron lungโ used to treat polio patients in the 1950s, provides an additional treatment option for COVID-19 patients, finds this study by researchers in the UKโs Exovent Task Force, formed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.…
AAMI releases four amendments to steam sterilization standard
Editor's Note The Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), on January 20, released four amendments to the โANSI/AAMI ST79 Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in healthcare facilities.โ Among the additions: recommendations and clarifications for maintaining the integrity of the sterile processing area, including common sense additions,…