Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 21 identified the recall by Draeger, Inc, of one lot (LT2103) of its SafeStar 55 Breathing System Filters as Class I, the most serious. The Breathing System Filter is used as part of a ventilator when a patient is under…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months old, which expands eligibility to some 20 million babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, CBS News June 17 reports. After convening on Saturday, June 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also…
Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) this week voiced support for the Senate’s bipartisan framework to help reduce gun violence in communities, AHA June 14 reports. The proposal includes provisions to help the country to combat violence and make “critical investments” in behavioral healthcare, school safety resources, and support…
Editor's Note Moderna, Inc announced new clinical data on its “Omicron-containing bivalent” COVID-19 booster candidate and a vaccine candidate targeting the Omicron variant of concern, Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN) June 9 reports. The booster dose of the new mRNA vaccine reportedly had a “superior neutralizing antibody response…against the Omicron variant…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 15 that it is seeking comments on proposed Emergency Management (EM) chapter requirements related to surge management for its hospital and critical access hospital accreditation programs. Since approval of the new, revised EM standards, which are effective July 1, experts in the…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 15 that refreshed Accelerate PI™ Dashboard Reports are available for primary stroke centers (PSCs) and comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) to provide updated performance measurement data on quality measures selected for advanced certification. The reports, which contain data through the fourth quarter of…
Editor's Note On June 14, The Joint Commission issued a new Quick Safety report to provide guidance for managing and storing packaged sterile supplies. Organizations must identify the best location to store supplies so staff can readily access them, and ensure the supplies are being stocked to the most optimal…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 9 updated the Class I recall by Woodside Acquisitions Inc of its Oral Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kits and Joysbio SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kits (Colloidal Gold) that are not authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA. The FDA…
Editor's Note In this study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, find that the use of eye protection by health care workers (HCWs) is important in preventing patient-to-HCW transmission of COVID-19. Of 345 HCWs who had a significant occupational exposure to patients with COVID-19, nurses accounted for 55.8%,…
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 10 announced that it will no longer require international travelers to have a negative COVID-19 test before flying to the US, effective June 12. The CDC continues to recommend that travelers flying to the US get tested as…