Editor's Note Based on data submitted by Janssen Biotech Inc., a pharmaceutical company wholly owned by Johnson & Johnson, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized on March 7 the extension of the shelf life for refrigerated Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, the American Hospital Association March 14 reported. The…

Read More

Editor's Note The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) on March 8 announced the publication of a new report outlining actions needed to successfully battle future pandemics while fighting the rise in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Some recommendations in the 66-page report, titled “Between a Rock and Hard…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on March 7 posted the recall by Fresenius Kabi USA (Lake Zurich, Illinois) of seven lots of its Sodium Acetate Injection, USP, 400 mEq/100 mL The recall was initiated because of the presence of particulate matter found in reserve and/or stability sample vials.…

Read More

Editor's Note The biggest obstacle to achieving 100% vaccination rate in the US is no longer whether vaccines will be manufactured fast enough, or if there will be enough for the country’s population, Lisa Doggett, senior medical director at HGS AxisPoint Health, told Health Leaders March 8. “Rather, it's concerns…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration, on March 9, identified the recall by Medtronic of its TurboHawk Plus Directional Aherectomy System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of the guidewire in the catheter moving downward or prolapsing when force is applied…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 3 posted the recall by B. Braun Medical Inc of its nationwide recall of five lots of 0.9% Sodium Chloride for Injection USP 250 ml in Excel. The recall was initiated because of fluid leakage or low fill volume of…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of Chicago finds an association between social determinants of health measures and COVID-19 mortality rates that varied across racial and ethnic groups and community types. Among 3,142 counties in the study, 531 were identified as concentrated longitudinal-impact counties. Of these, 347 (11%) had…

Read More

Editor's Note After 7 years, ANSI/AAMI has updated its standard for cleaning and storing medical devices, such as flexible bronchoscopes and various endoscopes. The updated standard, “ANSI/AAMI ST91:2021, Flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing in health care facilities,” addresses new technologies and concerns about device cleanliness and patient safety. “ANSI/AAMI ST91:2021…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of California, Los Angeles, finds that Blacks had the largest percentage increase in overdose mortality rates in 2020, overtaking the rates among Whites for the first time since 1999. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Center for…

Read More

Editor's Note OR Manager recently reported on the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on when masks should be worn by the public. According to the new guidelines, the CDC now recommends the general public wear masks only in communities with a "high" level of COVID-19, which…

Read More