[FREE WHITEPAPER] Simplifying Hospital Construction and Renovation with Mobile Sterile Processing
Mobile sterile processing capabilities are transforming the way healthcare leaders choose to renovate and expand hospitals. This whitepaper highlights the operational gains of two hospital systems that used a mobile sterile processing unit during construction and renovation. Case study profiles illustrate six guiding principles for healthcare leaders to embrace with…
Simulation to predict hospital capacity needs during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note This study from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, finds that a susceptible, infected, removed (SIR) epidemic model can be adapted to local population characteristics to inform hospital planning for epidemic-related surges in hospital capacity. Using COVID-19 patients only, the SIR model estimated that it would be 31 to…
ACS issues statement on maintaining emergency care system during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note As hospitals face a surge of COVID-19 patients, the ability for them to care for trauma cases and medical and surgical emergencies is severely compromised. Because of this, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on April 7 issued a statement calling for strategies to preserve capacity and capability…
Effectiveness of surgical, cotton masks in blocking SARS-CoV-2
Editor's Note In this study from Seoul, South Korea, both surgical and cotton masks were ineffective in preventing the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, from coughs of patients with COVID-19 to the environment and external mask surface. For the study, four patients with COVID-19 were admitted to negative pressure isolation rooms and…
Joint Commission offers guidance, resources for creating capacity for COVID-19 surge patients
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, in its April 8 online newsletter, announced the creation of a web portal with resources to assist healthcare workers create capacity for surge patients with COVID-19. Included are: Use of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC) as Alternative Care Sites for Hospitals Emergency Management Healthcare Environment Checklist…
Survey: US public concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note This survey given via social media by researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine and others found that respondents’ top concerns were getting sick because of COVID-19 (70.1%) and not being able to get medical care (46.3%). Of 8,982 respondents, 95.7% reported making changes to their lifestyle, with…
FDA issues COVID-19 update
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 7 issued an update on actions the agency has taken in its ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The actions include: a guidance for remote ophthalmic assessment and monitoring devices to facilitate patient care while reducing patient and healthcare provider…
Characteristics, outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs in Italy
Editor's Note In this case series of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs in the Lombardy region of Italy, the majority were older men, a large proportion required mechanical ventilation and high levels of PEEP, and ICU mortality was 26%. Of the 1,591 patients included in this study: the median age…
AI used to screen existing drugs, compounds for use against COVID-19
Editor's Note Exscientia (Oxford, UK) has announced a joint initiative with Diamond Light Source (Oxforshire, UK) and Calibr (La Jolla, California), a division of Scripps Research, to use its artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery platform to identify compounds that could become viable drugs for treatment of COVID-19, the April 2…
New algorithm for PPE use aims to protect OR teams from COVID-19 virus
Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Stanford University create an algorithm to protect OR teams who perform urgent and emergency surgical procedures from the coronavirus and rationally conserve the personal protective equipment (PPE) they wear. Incuded in the decision tree algorithm: Patients were triaged by severity of illness into…