Editor's Note This multi-center study led by Humana Inc, Louisville, Kentucky, finds that a bundled payment program offered by a Medicare Advantage insurer for lower extremity joint replacements was associated with reduced spending without changes in quality. A total of 23,034 lower extremity joint replacement surgical episodes (6,355 bundled, 16,679…

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Editor's Note The Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), on June 26, announced the creation of the APIC Health Equity Fund, which will help underwrite the cost of infection prevention and control (IPC) tools and resources for underserved communities in the US. For the first 3 years, the fund…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on June 26, identified the recall by Teleflex, and their subsidiary Arrow International, of the Arrow Endurance Extended Dwell Peripheral Catheter System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of catheter separation and leakage. If…

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Editor's Note This study by nurse researchers at the Cleveland Clinic examines the usability of a lounge designed to support critical care nurses in refreshing and renewing themselves after stressful clinical situations. Of 54 nurses surveyed: 31 (57%) said they used the lounge within the past month. Facilitators of lounge…

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Editor's Note This study by nurse researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham examines nurse staffing and its relationship to quality nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the findings: Pearson correlation showed a statistically significant, moderately strong negative correlation between the active RN full-time equivalent (FTE) and average…

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Editor's Note A multidisciplinary cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) team at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, recently conducted a bedside surgery simulation of a resternotomy to develop a new protocol for the lifesaving procedure, according to the June 15 VUMC Reporter. When a cardiac surgical patient starts bleeding postoperatively…

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Editor's Note A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) finds reduced opioid administration during surgery unintendedly increased postoperative pain and opioid use. The retrospective cohort study included 61,249 individuals who underwent noncardiac surgery with general anesthesia from April 2016 to March 2020. The maximal pain score…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, finds that standardized infection ratios (SIRs) were significantly higher during COVID-19 than during the prepandemic period, and the incidence of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) was elevated during periods of high COVID-19 hospitalizations. The analysis revealed elevated incidence…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration, on June 12, identified the recall of the rechargeable Walnut Wearable Smart Thermometer as Class I, the most serious. BearCare, Inc, is recalling the thermometers after receiving reports of skin burns and irritation resulting from use of the device. The company reports five…

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Editor's Note This Canadian study finds that translocator protein distribution volume (TSPO Vt) an index of brain gliosis (ie, an inflammatory change) was higher in COVID-19 patients with persistent depressive and cognitive symptoms (COVID-DC). Researchers compared TSPO Vt of specific regions of the brain in 20 participants with COVID-DC and…

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