Editor's Note This study led by the sports therapy and research department at Baylor Scott and White Health, Frisco, Texas, finds that cloth face masks led to a 14% reduction in exercise time and 29% decrease in VO2max. In this randomized controlled trial of 31 healthy adults (14 women, 17…

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Surgical smoke is a complex issue that has not gained a lot of traction over the years. Legislation to mandate smoke evacuation was introduced more than 20 years ago, but the first law wasn’t passed until 2018, and only three US states thus far have enacted legislation. Release of The…

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Non-physician surgical first assistants (FAs) perform a variety of tasks—everything from closing an incision and inserting drains to harvesting veins for bypass procedures and preparing anterior cruciate ligament grafts. A significant benefit of FAs is shorter case times, which may help reduce patient morbidity and mortality and increase case volumes.…

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The increasing availability of COVID-19 vaccines, along with proposed healthcare industry funding from the federal government, are reasons to feel hopeful about recovering from the pandemic. For people who are fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has green-lighted gathering with loved ones and resuming some activities that…

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Personal health and well-being have become higher priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some people who previously may have ignored preventive care or postponed procedures are taking better care of themselves. Some are reexamining life choices as a result of changes taking place over the past year. “Many of us accept…

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Most high-performing ORs share something in common—an anesthesia group that is actively engaged in perioperative leadership, takes responsibility for organizational performance, and is fully invested in the success of the OR. Unfortunately, in many ORs, anesthesia providers focus narrowly on services and procedures, not the total performance of the surgery…

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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) tend to operate in lean environments, a factor that can impact training and education, whether it’s a refresher for current employees or part of the onboarding process for new hires. Maintaining robust education programs during a global pandemic that has reduced in-person training and imposed restrictions…

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Editor's Note The findings of this study from the University of Michigan Schools of Nursing and Medicine, Ann Arbor, suggest a significantly increased suicide risk for nurses in the US, compared to the general population, but not for physicians. This cohort study using data from 2007 to 2018 includes suicides…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 9, sent a letter to healthcare providers recommending they “transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies,” including disinfection and reuse of N95 masks. Though the FDA believes there is an adequate supply of N95s now to facilitate this transition, the…

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Editor's Note This study from the department of family and sports medicine, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Fontana, California, finds that a lack of physical activity was strongly associated with a greater risk of severe COVID-19 and death. This analysis compares outcomes in 48,440 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and…

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