Editor's Note A recent study, published by Perioperative Medicine on August 13 and conducted at a large US academic tertiary care ambulatory surgery center (ASC), found the incidence of unplanned hospital admissions within 24 hours after a procedure performed at an ASC is “exceptionally” low. The research, which analyzed data…

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Editor's Note A bill in California that aims to increase oversight of private equity healthcare investments is receiving support from consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association and opposition from hospitals worried about losing funding sources, the Los Angeles Times reported August 9. Sponsored by Attorney General Rob…

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Editor's Note A post hoc analysis of the SCOT phase 3 randomized clinical trial reveals that initiating adjuvant chemotherapy more than 6 weeks after surgery is linked to worse disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with high-risk stage II and stage III colorectal cancer. Published June 12 in JAMA Surgery, the…

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Editor's Note An August 6 report in MedPage Today details how the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is pushing to end the practice of using live animals for physiology training. According to the article, some surgical residencies use live animals (usually pigs) as practice patients. In contrast, only 3%…

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Editor's Note Extensive training and lower wages lead healthcare workers to accrue more debt than those in other industries, according to a recent analysis published in JAMA Health Forum.  Findings were based on 2018-2021 data from U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation. According to an August 5…

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Editor's Note The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency, according to a CNN article published a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned about increasing activity for seasonal respiratory virus parvovirus B19. WHO issued the emergency…

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Editor's Note A dispute over cameras in ORs reportedly added tension to nurse strike negotiations that recently culminated in a tentative agreement with union nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. According to an August 7 CBS News report, the OR cameras are intended to assist with robotic surgeries.…

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Editor's Note This new multicenter study published by the Heart Rhythm Society on August 5 found that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) offer a safe and effective setting for performing various cardiac electrophysiology procedures, including catheter ablation (CA). The research, which retrospectively analyzed 4,037 procedures, highlights the viability of ASCs as…

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Editor's Note In a first step toward battery-free wearable electronics, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a healthcare device powered by the patient's body heat. According to an article published July 16 in MedicalXpress, the device combines a pulse oximetry sensor with a flexible, stretchable thermoelectric energy generator made…

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Editor's Note Optimizing patient positioning can help reduce the risk of surgical site infections due to airborne contaminants in positive-pressure ORs, according to a study published August 12 in Nature: Scientific Reports. Maintaining higher pressure than adjacent spaces prevents entry of contaminants from environments external to the OR. For this…

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