Perioperative mortality for living kidney donors drops significantly
Editor's Note A recent study analyzing 30 years of national registry data shows a significant decline in perioperative mortality among living kidney donors, MedPage Today August 28 reports. From 2013 to 2022, the mortality rate within 90 days post-donation was 0.9 per 10,000 donations, compared to 2.9 per 10,000 in…
The Joint Commission, NQF open applications for 2024 Eisenberg awards
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) announced on September 3 they are now accepting applications for the 2024 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The application window is open until October 29, 2024. The annual awards, which recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations…
AAAHC releases updated medication reconciliation toolkit to reduce errors in ambulatory care
Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) announced on August 21 the release of an updated version of its Medication Reconciliation Toolkit, designed to help ambulatory healthcare professionals minimize medication errors and improve patient outcomes. The toolkit emphasizes the importance of accurately documenting all medications including vitamins,…
HHS withdraws appeal on rule limiting hospital use of web tracking technology
Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has withdrawn its appeal against a federal court decision that blocked a rule restricting hospitals from using tracking technology on their websites, HealthLeaders August 30 reports. This rule, proposed in December 2022 by the HHS Office for Civil Rights,…
Flexibility for clinicians in managing RAS inhibitors in noncardiac surgery
Editor's Note A new study, the Stop-or-Not Trial, has found no significant difference in outcomes for patients undergoing noncardiac surgery who either continued or discontinued their renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitor therapy, MedPage Today August 31 reports. The randomized clinical trial, which included over 2,200 patients, reported the rate of death…
OR Business Management Conference: Lowest rates expire soon
Editor's Note The lowest rates in the last decade for the leading financial summit designed for business leaders in perioperative services will end September 6. The 2025 OR Business Management Conference, taking place February 10-12 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida, offers attendees the opportunity to learn and network…
Study: Women face higher mortality risk than men for postop atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery
Editor's Note A recent study from two tertiary care centers highlighted significant sex differences in long-term outcomes after cardiac surgery, especially concerning postoperative atrial fibrillation (postopAF), MedPage August 21 reports. The study, published in JAMA Network, found that while women were less likely than men to develop postopAF following a…
Time to sign up for the ASC administrators CASC training course
Editor's Note The OR Manager Conference is proud to announce it will offer a 1-day training course outlining core areas of study for the Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) exam to earn the CASC credential. This training is ideal for those responsible for the operations of running an ambulatory surgery…
Brain implant leverages AI, neural sensors to restore speech for ALS patient
Editor's Note Researchers at UC Davis have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant that has successfully restored speech in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), whose ability to speak had deteriorated, Fierce Biotech reported August 15. The breakthrough was achieved using neural sensors from Blackrock Neurotech and AI-driven text-to-speech…
Study: Nearly 10% of patients on prescription opioids develop dependency or disorder
Editor's Note Research reveals nearly 10% of patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers develop opioid dependency or opioid use disorder (OUD), Healio reported on August 13. Additionally, nearly 30% of patients exhibit signs and symptoms indicating potential OUD. Originally published in the journal Addiction, the data are from a systematic…