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CDC: 40% of US adults administered at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Editor's Note As of April 19, nearly 40% of US adults have been given at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. A total of 85,365,180 Americans have been fully vaccinated, which is 25.7% of the total population. The CDC says…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 20, 2021
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FDA issues Class I recall of certain Medtronic ICDs, CRT-Ds

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 12, identified the recall of Medtronic’s Evera, Viva, Brava, Claria, Amplia, Compia, and Visia implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of an unexpected and rapid…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 19, 2021
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The Joint Commission's safety alert supports removal of surgical smoke

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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By: Judith M. Mathias, MA, RN
April 19, 2021
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First assistants bring expertise and efficiency to the OR table--Part 1

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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By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
April 19, 2021
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FDA recommends healthcare workers transition away from decontaminated N95 masks

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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By: Judy Mathias
April 15, 2021
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The Joint Commission issues new Heads-Up Reports for first quarter 2021

Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 14, announced that new Heads-Up Reports for first quarter 2021 are now available for all accredited programs. The downloadable report is posted in the “Resources and Tools” section of an organization’s secure Joint Commission Connect extranet site. Each report identifies important topics or…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 15, 2021
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Public perspectives on who should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine

Editor's Note In this study from the University of Denver and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, respondents to two surveys agreed with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s prioritization framework for COVID-19 vaccination. Of 4,735 respondents (2,730 to a Gallup survey and 2,005 to a COVID Collaborative survey):…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 14, 2021
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The Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert on smart infusion pump safety

Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 14, issued Sentinel Event Alert 63: Optimizing smart infusion pump safety with DERS [dose error reduction software]. Though smart infusion pumps combine computer technology and drug libraries (stored in DERS) to limit the potential for dosing errors, errors still occur each year. Bypassing…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 14, 2021
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FDA: Class I recall of Medtronic’s Valiant Navion Thoracic Stent Graft System

Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA), on April 9, identified the recall of Medtronic’s Valiant Navion Thoracic Stent Graft System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of stent fractures and endoleak concerns. The system is used to repair lesions of…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 12, 2021
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Better masks, ventilation needed to curb spread of COVID-19 in enclosed spaces

Editor's Note Findings in this study, by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, show the need for new mask designs that reduce side and bottom droplet leakage and good ventilation systems that take into account the aerosolized particle leakage that occurs with breathing and normal conversation as a…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 8, 2021
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