Effect of multicomponent home-based treatments on mobility after hip fracture in older adults
Editor's Note Current rehabilitation practices may not be sufficient for hip fracture recovery in older adults, this study finds. A total of 210 patients from three US academic centers were randomized to a training intervention group (105 patients), which included aerobic, strength, balance, and functional training, or an active control…
FDA: Metrix Company recalls certain lots of empty flexible IV bags
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on September 10 posted the recall by the Metrix Company of Dubuque, Iowa, of specific lots of its empty IV flexible containers (bags) marketed under the Metrix Secure EVA Dual Chamber and Baxter ExactaMix names. The recall was initiated because of the potential…
Postop opioid prescribing in US, Canada, Sweden
Editor's Note This study found a very large variability in the use of postoperative opioids in different countries. The study sample included 129,379 opioid-naïve patients in the US, 84,653 in Canada, and 9,802 in Sweden. More than 70% of surgical patients in the US (76.2%) and Canada (78.6%) filled opioid prescriptions…
FDA: Hospira recalls one lot of Bacteriostatic Water for Injection
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on September 6 posted Hospira, Inc’s recall of one lot of Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP, 30 mL, multi-dose vials, lot W20308. The recall was initiated because of the potential for a lack of sterility assurance. To date, Hospira has not received any…
9/11 World Trade Center exposure linked to long-term CVD risk in firefighters
Editor's Note In this study, a significant association was found between exposure to World Trade Center dust and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in firefighters. Of 9,796 firefighters analyzed, those who arrived first at the World Trade Center when dust was the thickest were found to have a 44% increased…
Hospital employment up in August
Editor's Note Employment in US hospitals was up 8,800 jobs in August to a seasonally adjusted 5,253,200, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on September 6. That’s up 97,400 more employees than a year ago. Overall, healthcare employment has increased 392,100 in the past year. The overall unemployment rate remains…
Robotic vs laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Editor's Note In this study, robotic cholecystectomy was associated with lesser lengths of stay and readmission rates than laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The robotic procedure also had greater operative duration and hospital costs. Of 3,255 patients who had cholecystectomy during the study period, the researchers matched 106 robotic and 1,060 laparoscopic cases.…
FDA sets meeting to discuss EO sterilization
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced September 4 that it will hold a Medical Devices Advisory Committee Meeting in November to discuss ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization of medical devices, including methods to reduce EO emissions. The committee also will provide recommendations on reducing infection risks from reprocessed…
Millennial nurses’ job satisfaction tied to supportive leadership
Editor's Note This study finds that supportive leadership is the primary factor contributing to millennial nurses’ job satisfaction. Using data from 1,006 nurses in the Professional Practice Work Environment Inventory survey, researchers found that demographic factors (ie, age, gender, race, ethnicity, work status, and experience) accounted for just 2.6% of…
Joint Commission posts Top 5 most challenging requirements
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 4 posted the Top 5 most challenging requirements identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews during the first half of 2019. The Top 5 for hospital accreditation are: LS.02.01.35: The hospital provides and maintains systems for extinguishing fires (91%). EC.02.05.01:…