FDA issues statement on review framework for AI-based devices
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 2 issued a statement announcing steps toward a new, tailored review framework for artificial intelligence (AI)-based medical devices. AI and machine learning have the potential to transform the delivery of healthcare, with earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnoses, more targeted…
Low-value procedures associated with hospital-acquired complications
Editor's Note Patients admitted to the hospital for procedures that would not be expected to require admission (ie, low-value procedures) are being harmed, consuming additional hospital resources, and delaying care for patients for whom the services would be appropriate, this Australian study finds. In this analysis of 9,330 episodes of…
Joint Commission, NQF name Eisenberg Award winners
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) on March 27 named the recipients of the 2018 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The Awards recognize innovative approaches to improve patient safety and quality of care. The winners are: Brent C. James, MD, MStat, clinical professor,…
Factors linked to, lessons learned from reduced mortality during military conflicts
Editor's Note The increased use of tourniquets, blood transfusions, and reduced time to surgical treatment (ie, within 1 hour) were the main factors that reduced mortality 44.2% during military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, this study finds. From October 2001 through December 2017, survival increase three-fold among the most critically…
Joint Commission posts โTop 5โ most challenging requirements for 2018
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 27 posted the โTop 5โ requirements identified most frequently as โnot compliantโ during surveys and reviews in 2018. The Top 5 for hospital accreditation are: LS.02.01.35: The hospital provides and maintains systems for extinguishing fires (88.85%). EC.02.05.01: The hospital manages risks associated with…
Pregnant women working night shifts have higher risk for miscarriage
Editor's Note Pregnant women who work two night shifts per week have a heightened risk for miscarriage after pregnancy week 8, this Danish study finds. Of 22,744 pregnant women analyzed, 2 or more night shifts the previous week increased the risk of miscarriage after pregnancy week 8 (hazard ratio, 1.32).…
Floridaโs Mayo Clinic performs first endoscopic lung volume reduction procedure
Editor's Note The Mayo Clinic in Florida announced March 26 that it is the first center in the state to perform endoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves. The procedure, which was recently approved by the Food & Drug Administration, is used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as…
Association between nurse work environments and outcomes
Editor's Note Better work environments are associated with lower odds of negative outcomes ranging from job dissatisfaction to patient mortality, finds this meta-analysis from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. This analysis of data from 2,677 hospitals, 141 nursing units, 165,024 nurses, and 1,368,420 patients in 22 countries found…
FDA addresses potential medical device, product shortages amid shutdown of sterilization facility
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on March 26 said it will take steps to address potential medical product and device shortages because of the recent closure of a large contract sterilization facility, Sterigenics (Willowbrook, Illinois). Earlier this year, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued an order to stop…
Minimally invasive uterine fibroid embolization safe, effective
Editor's Note Minimally invasive embolization can be used to effectively treat uterine fibroids with fewer postoperative complications and a lower need for additional treatments than myomectomy, finds this study presented March 25 at the Society of Interventional Radiologyโs 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting in Austin, Texas. Of 950 patients analyzed, half…