Rules and Regulations
FDA approves new antibiotic for staph, other infections
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug administration approved Zevtera for treating Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) bloodstream infections, which are often acquired in healthcare settings. In the April 3 announcement, the agency notes the new antibiotic Zevtera (ceftobiprole medocaril sodium for injection) is effective for SAB-infected patients with right-sided infective…
Private payers profit by delaying medical claims
Editor's Note Private payers initially deny reimbursement on 15% of claims, only to later approve more than half of those initial denials, according to a national survey of healthcare institutions published March 21 by Premiere, Inc. Additionally, the denied claims on average tend to be more prevalent for higher-cost treatments…
New hope for Black kidney disease patients awaiting organ transplants
Editor's Note A standard kidney function test has been underestimating the seriousness of disease in Black patients, delaying their eligibility for transplants, The Associated Press reported March 31. Now, that test is changing – and Black patients awaiting kidneys are moving up the list. Among other factors, transplant eligibility is…
FDA warning: unapproved topical analgesics potentially dangerous
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises consumers to avoid topical analgesics marketed in violation of federal law by six different companies, including: TKTX Company: TKTX Numb Maximum Strength Pain Reliever, Mithra+ 10% Lidocaine, TKTX During Procedure Numbing Gel 40% and J-CAIN cream [LIDOCAINE] 29.9% SeeNext Venture,…
Proposed federal rule would require hospitals, health systems to report cyberattacks
Editor's Note The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) proposed a new rule that would require hospitals and health systems to report any cyberattacks or ransomware attacks to the agency within 72 hours and any ransomware payments within 24 hours. The healthcare sector is one of…
Surglogs, AAAHC partner on digital accreditation standards for better compliance
Editor's Note Surglogs, a leading regulatory and accreditation platform in the healthcare industry, is partnering with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) in a "strategic collaboration," a March 13 press release reports. This collaboration marks a significant advancement in the accessibility of AAAHC accreditation standards, as they will…
How data puts the ‘value’ in value-based care
What if a surgeon decided to perform a procedure on a patient that was not totally necessary? It happens more often that one might realize. As recently as August 2023, Forbes published an article that cited a Harvard Business Review report stating that over 50% of lumbar spine surgeries are…
Medicare households have double the healthcare spending burden
Editor's Note The healthcare spending burden of Medicare households was double that of non-Medicare households in 2022, according to an analysis published by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) on March 14. Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, KFF found that average health-related expenses made up 13.6% of Medicare households’ total…
New EPA standards to reduce ethylene oxide emissions
Editor's Note New standards from The Environmental Protection Agency promise to cut nationwide emissions of ethylene oxide—employed to sterilize more than half of US medical devices—by more than 90 percent. According to a March 15 MedPage Today report, the aim is to reduce cancer risk among the 13 to 14…
Many hospitals neglect best-practice suicide prevention
Editor's Note A study from the Joint Commission found that more than 25 percent of hospitals have not adopted any of the four policies identified by the organization as best-practice, evidence-based discharge practices for preventing suicide in at-risk patients. According to a March 12 report on the implementation gap…
Free Daily News
- Routine preop tests catch hidden risks in outpatient cosmetic surgery, Canadian study finds
- Study: Hospital same‑day knee replacements match ASC outcomes, even in higher‑risk patients
- FDA clears AI platform for real-time surgical measurements
- Study: MRI contrast agent causes harmful metal buildup in some patients
- Dissolvable pacemaker delivers temporary cardiac support without wires, surgery
- CSA taps Milagro’s AI coding to accelerate revenue cycle across ASC network
- Study: Cannabis use complicates sedation, cancer care
- Medication vial coring incidents prompt patient safety concerns
- First single-port robotic renal vein transposition surgery treats nutcracker syndrome
- Study: Mortality prediction models fail to recognize severe patient injuries