Editor's Note From December 14 to 23, 2020, after administration of 1,893,360 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 21 case reports of anaphylaxis. Of those, 4 (19%) were hospitalized (including 3 in intensive care), and 17 (81%) were treated in…

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Editor's Note A new negative-pressure ventilatory support device, similar to the “iron lung” used to treat polio patients in the 1950s, provides an additional treatment option for COVID-19 patients, finds this study by researchers in the UK’s Exovent Task Force, formed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.…

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Editor's Note The Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), on January 20, released four amendments to the “ANSI/AAMI ST79 Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in healthcare facilities.” Among the additions: recommendations and clarifications for maintaining the integrity of the sterile processing area, including common sense additions,…

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Editor's Note A study, led by researchers from Rockefeller University in New York City, finds that volunteers vaccinated with either the Moderna or the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be protected against new variants of the COVID-19 virus. The researchers tested plasma taken from 20 volunteers who had received both doses of…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on January 20, announced that data collection for a new standardized performance measure assessing a patient’s functional and health status postoperatively will be required for the Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement (THKR) program. Organizations will be required to assess a patient’s…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, finds that COVID-19 vaccine-related messaging should address concerns about the vaccine and its development and reinforce its benefits to increase the willingness of US adults to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to get the vaccine under an…

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Information about COVID-19 transmission and treatment has evolved between the time this infectious disease first emerged and now. As evidence-based knowledge grows and protocols change, and as populations are vaccinated to develop herd immunity, there is increasing optimism about the ability to combat the virus. Meanwhile, it is important to…

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The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines starting in December 2020 was the one bright spot in an otherwise tragic year with a rapidly rising death toll currently over 385,000. Distribution of the 20 million doses promised by year end was thwarted by problems such as lack of coordination and lack of…

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The financial impact of COVID-19 on healthcare providers has been considerable. With experts predicting that half of all US hospitals would be operating in the red by the end of 2020, healthcare leaders have had to seek multiple ways to cut costs. The expansion of single-use medical device (SUD) reprocessing…

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The 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)/ASC Final Payment Rule was released on December 1, 2020, and became effective as of January 1, 2021. Gina Throneberry, MBA, RN, CASC, CNOR, director of education and clinical affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), summarized the status of Medicare regulations and…

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