Study: Great teams think alike
Editor's Note Greater sharing of team mental models (ie, shared understanding of team members) leads to better team performance, this study finds. The study also found that team mental models predicted team performance over time. The study involved 30 interns participating in a simulation training program. The findings suggest that…
ASA updates guidelines for preop fasting, drugs to reduce pulmonary aspiration risk
Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has published new โPractice guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration: Application to health patients undergoing elective procedures.โ The document updates its guidelines published in 2011. The guidelines are intended for use…
FDA classifies recall of IV Flush Syringes by Nurse Assist as Class I
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 4, 2017, classified the recall by Nurse Assist (Haltom City, Texas) of its IV Flush Syringes as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of a potential link to Burkholderia cepacia blood stream infections with the syringes.…
Ambulatory surgery PSH program linked to better outcomes
Editor's Note Introduction of the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model for patients having ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a Kaiser Permanente facility was associated with decreased length of stay and unplanned hospital admissions in this study. A total of 878 patients were included in the preimplementation period, and 1,082 in the…
Relationship between anesthesia service use and screening colonoscopy rates
Editor's Note No significant association was found between anesthesia service use and colonoscopy screening or colorectal cancer screening rates, suggesting that more evidence is needed to support the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule change that defined โscreening colonoscopyโ to include separately furnished anesthesia services, this study finds.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The…
FDA issues safety warning for battery-powered mobile medical carts
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 27 issued a warning to healthcare facilities of potential safety risks associated with battery-powered mobile medical carts. The FDA has received reports of explosions, fires, smoking, and overheating of the lithium and lead acid batteries in these carts that required…
Effect of ERAS, fast track protocols on postop infections
Editor's Note Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and fast track surgery protocols were associated with a significant reduction in postoperative lung, urinary tract, and surgical site infections, compared with conventional protocols in this study. ERAS and fast track protocols also were linked to a significant decrease in hospital length of…
Nurses again top Gallup poll for ethics, trustworthiness
Editor's Note Nursing remains the most-trusted profession in Gallupโs annual honesty and ethical standards survey for the 15th year in a row. A total of 84% of respondents rated nursesโ honesty and ethical standards as high or very high. Pharmacists and physicians were second and third in the ratings at…
FDA: Class I recall of Standard Offset Cup Impactor by Greatbatch Medical
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 20 classified the recall by Greatbatch Medical (Frisco, Texas) of its Standard Offset Cup Impactor with a POM-C handle as Class I, the most serious. The recall was issued because the Impactor failed sterility testing when sterilized in a dedicated…
FDA bans powdered gloves
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 19, 2016, published a final rule banning powdered surgeon gloves, powdered patient examination gloves, and absorbable powder for surgeonโs gloves, effective January 18, 2017. The FDA says it issued the ban because these products present unreasonable and substantial risks to…