Editor's Note This study by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, examines preoperative risk factors, operative variables, and postoperative complications associated with 30-day mortality after outpatient surgery. A total of 2,822,789 patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were included…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on August 24, announced the launch of a new program to strengthen survival and recovery rates for sepsis patients, called the “Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements.” The program is aimed at helping hospitals implement, monitor, and optimize sepsis programs and improve…

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Editor's Note This Canadian study examines whether surgeon gender is associated with long-term postoperative patient outcomes. A total of 1,165,711 patients (151,054 treated by female surgeons and 1,014,657 treated by male surgeons) were included in the analysis. Multivariate adjusted rates of adverse postoperative events (ie, death, readmission, or complication) showed…

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Editor's Note This study from Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, investigates the source of an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRA) in a general hospital due to contamination of a laundry evaporative cooler and the laundry environment. A total of 58 patients were affected in the outbreak. Their most…

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Editor's Note An update of the 2014 “Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections [CAUTIs] in Acute-Care Hospitals” was published August 25 by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). The update, which is a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for…

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Editor's Note This study from the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System finds that intraoperative stress in surgical teams is common and has multiple sources, including adverse events. Researchers conducted 28 interviews with surgical team members on intraoperative stress and emotional and behavioral responses to stressors. The researchers then identified themes in…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on August 10, announced awards of more than $100 million to educate more nurses and grow the nursing workforce. The awards include: $8.7 million to help licensed practical nurses become RNs $34.8 million to increase the number of primary care…

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Editor's Note Research by the Center for Longevity at the University of Texas, Dallas, suggests that older adults who engage in intensive fitness practices tend to have brains that more closely resemble those of younger adults, the August 23 UTDallas News reports. The study, which compared high-fit older adults (median…

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Editor's Note This Canadian study examines the associations between shift work and cognitive impairment. A total of 47,811 adults between 45 and 85 years of age were included in the analysis. Higher rates of cognitive impairment were found in those who were exposed to night-shift work during their current jobs…

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Editor's Note This study from Trinity Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, compares prepandemic surgical site infection (SSI) rates before reusing personal protective equipment (PPE), to pandemic SSI rates after reusing PPE in trauma surgical patients. A total of 48,987 patients were included in the analysis, with half in the postpandemic group.…

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