Report illuminates how AI transforms hospitals, healthcare
Editor's Note A paper published March 29 in the journal Bioengineering examines the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into hospital and healthcare systems and the way in which it is augmenting clinical decision-making, optimizing hospital operation and management, improving medical image analysis, and transforming patient care and monitoring through…
Hospitals report robust margins, caution about potential near-term disruption
Editor's Note Data collected from more than 1,300 hospitals nationwide for Kaufman Hallโs National Hospital Flash Report shows strong marginsโaveraging 3.9% in Februaryโbut does not account for significant, near-term headwinds, according to a March 28 article from HealthLeaders. Revenue growth is primarily from outpatient care, and inpatient revenue continues to…
New hope for Black kidney disease patients awaiting organ transplants
Editor's Note A standard kidney function test has been underestimating the seriousness of disease in Black patients, delaying their eligibility for transplants, The Associated Press reported March 31. Now, that test is changing โ and Black patients awaiting kidneys are moving up the list.ย Among other factors, transplant eligibility is…
FDA warning: unapproved topical analgesics potentially dangerous
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises consumers to avoid topical analgesics marketed in violation of federal law by six different companies, including: TKTX Company: TKTX Numb Maximum Strength Pain Reliever, Mithra+ 10% Lidocaine, TKTX During Procedure Numbing Gel 40% and J-CAIN cream [LIDOCAINE] 29.9% SeeNext Venture,…
Blood test could help identify risk of sepsis, organ failure in children
Editor's Note Measuring gene activity in blood samples could help determine whether a child is at risk of sepsis and organ failure, according to findings published March 18 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.ย It is often difficult for clinicians to diagnose sepsis because the symptoms are similar to…
Healthcare leaders weigh supply chain impact of Baltimore bridge collapse
Editor's Note The collapse of Baltimoreโs Francis Scott Key Bridge last Tuesday morning could impact the shipment of medical supplies, according to healthcare leaders quoted in a March 17 report in Chief Healthcare Executive. โCurrently, any healthcare provider using a distributor in the area will likely face some impact, including…
Universal Recall Platform Alliance centralizes supply disruption communications, calls for members
Editor's Note Medical recall software developer Notisphere is spearheading a collaborative effort among healthcare organizations to address inefficiencies with the recall alert communication process, reduce burdens on providers, speed regulatory compliance achievement by suppliers, and enhance patient safety. As noted in the companyโs March 29 announcement, the Universal Recall Platform…
Study recommends against polyhexanide wound irrigation during open abdominal surgery
Editor's Note Although intraoperative wound irrigation is a common practice worldwide for preventing surgical site infections, a recent study suggests irrigation with polyhexanide solution should not be recommended as standard clinical practice in open clean-contaminated surgical procedures. Published February 21 in Jama Surgery, the study cautions that additional trials are…
Donor hearts denied more often to male, black male transplant candidates
Editor's Note New research shows transplant center teams are more to likely reject offers of donor hearts to black men and men than black women and white women, MedPage Today reported on March 25. โThe cumulative probability of a donor heart being accepted by the transplant center team was most…
Proposed federal rule would require hospitals, health systems to report cyberattacks
Editor's Note The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) proposed a new rule that would require hospitals and health systems to report any cyberattacks or ransomware attacks to the agency within 72 hours and any ransomware payments within 24 hours.ย The healthcare sector is one of…