Balancing the demand for OR time with resource utilization
ORs are a key revenue driver for hospitals, with surgical services accounting for nearly half of hospital margins. Efficient use of OR time is therefore critical to sustaining and growing hospital revenue and profitability. Perioperative leaders face an ongoing challenge in optimizing OR utilization, however, because of the common mindset…
Scientists are training AI to predict drug interactions
Editor's Note An international team of scientists designed an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to provide insights into how a particular drug will interact in an individual prior to administration, Science Direct October 31 reports. The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. Among the findings: One-third of drugs work…
Study reveals cause of deadly blood clots in some COVID-19 vaccine patients
Editor's Note A new study looked at the causes behind how some patients developed deadly blood clots following the administration of certain COVID-19 vaccines. The findings were published in the journal Blood on October 26. Previous studies had shown that patients with Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT) produce antibodies…
Antibiotic resistance creating global health threat for children
Editor's Note Widespread antibiotic resistance globally has meant that drugs used to treat common infections in children and babies are no longer effective, according to a new study published on October 31 by Science Direct. The study found that a number of antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)…
OR Manager Conference Session Recap
In Fall 2023, 700 operating room leaders gathered in Nashville, Tennessee for the OR Manager Conference to network, learn, and explore new products. As hospitals and healthcare systems continue to manage operations in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, an environment defined by growing demand for care and continued constraints…
Predicting the pathogen behind the next pandemic
Editor's Note Scientists are focusing on the next group of pathogens that could cause a pandemic and are zeroing in on paramyxovirus—a family of single-stranded RNA viruses—The Atlantic October 29 reports. According to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, paramyxovirus is known to cause Hendra virus, measles, mumps, Nipah virus,…
Video laryngoscopy leads to higher success rates than direct laryngoscopy
Editor's Note Video laryngoscopy was found to lead to higher intubation success rates over direct laryngoscopy in critically ill adult patients, an August 2023 randomized controlled trial published by the The New England Journal of Medicine shows. The findings were consistent whether they were intubated in an emergency room or…
A closer look at variations in regional health insurance prices
Editor's Note This new study in JAMA Health Forum is one of the first to review publicly available insurer price data and compare regional rate differences. The research was published by JAMA Network on October 27. Following are some highlights: Over half of the US population receives health insurance from…
Injectable gel shows promise for regenerating cartilage without surgery
Editor's Note Researchers from University of Connecticut, Peking University School, and Eli Lilly & Company have designed an injectable gel that could someday provide scaffolds for human cartilage without surgery. The findings were published by Nature Communications on October 6. Some highlights include: The injectable, biodegradable piezoelectric (electricity-producing) hydrogel can…
New upload process for Joint Commission certification program documents
Editor's Note A new process has been put in place for uploading documents for all certification programs to The Joint Commission, the regulatory and accreditation agency reported on October 25. Required documents must now be uploaded to the organization’s Joint Commission Connect® extranet site, rather than to SharePoint. Any Joint…