Joint Commission releases sentinel event stats for first half of 2020
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 12 released its sentinel event statistics for the first half of 2020. From January 1 through June 30, the Joint Commission reviewed 437 sentinel events. The most frequently reported events were in the following categories: Care management, 165 Surgical or invasive procedures, 131…
Prevalence of COVID-19 infection in New York State HCWs
Editor's Note This study of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary New York State hospital finds that the rate of COVID-19 infection in HCWs is lower than what has been reported for the general public in the region. Of 3,046 HCWs, 1,699 had antibody testing, 617 had RT-PCR testing, and…
Gallup poll finds disinterest in receiving COVID-19 vaccine
Editor's Note A Gallup poll of US adults conducted from July 20 to August 2 finds that 35% of those surveyed would not be interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine when one is approved by the Food & Drug Administration. The survey also finds that 41% of non-white Americans would…
Filtration efficiency of face masks used during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note This study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill evaluated 29 face masks for use by clinicians interacting with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that expired N95 respirators and sterilized, reused N95 respirators were acceptable alternatives when N95 respirators were not available. All other…
Decline in US COVID-19 deaths, cases
Editor's Note The US reported more than 376,000 COVID-19 cases and 7,200 deaths for the week ending August 9, marking the first decline in deaths after 4 weeks of increases, according to an August 10 Reuters analysis of Johns Hopkins data. COVID-19 cases in the US have now fallen for…
Delays in breast cancer surgery because of COVID-19 do not appear to be life-threatening
Editor's Note A longer time from diagnosis to surgical treatment because of the COVID-19 pandemic did not lower overall survival of women with early-stage breast cancer, this study finds. In this analysis of 379,000 patients, surgical delays of more than 120 days were associated with change to a higher cancer…
American Heart Association warns of cardiovascular risks of marijuana use
Editor's Note In a Scientific Statement, the American Heart Association (AHA) says marijuana use has no cardiovascular benefits and that it has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. Though a full understanding of how marijuana use affects the heart and blood vessels…
NIH harnesses power of AI for COVID-19 diagnosis, treatment
Editor's Note The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on August 5 announced the launch of the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center, which will create new tools using artificial intelligence (AI) and medical imaging to diagnose and personalize therapies for COVID-19 patients. The Center will build a large repository of…
ACS opposes proposed Medicare physician fee schedule
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 4 announced that it is strongly opposed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule for CY 2021. In the fee schedule, which is set to take place January 1, 2021, Medicare payments will…
Blood test may predict COVID-19 patients at high risk for poor outcomes
Editor's Note Researchers at George Washington University, Washington DC, have found five biomarkers in blood of COVID-19 patients that are associated with higher odds of clinical deterioration and death. The research team analyzed 299 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to George Washington University Hospital. Of these, 200 had…