Editor's Note A recent analysis of insurance claims data suggests weight-loss medications like Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and other glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists do not increase risks associated with undergoing anesthesia. As reported April 22 in MedPage Today, these finding that contradicts a June 2023 recommendation from the American Society of…

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Editor's Note A new guidance document covering the entire process for the selection, labeling, and sterile processing of dilators and ultrasound probes is available from The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). Released April 17, AAMI TIR99:2024; Processing Of Dilators, Transesophageal And Ultrasound Probes In Health Care Facilities…

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Editor's Note Effective July 1, telehealth providers can apply for a new Joint Commission accreditation designed to ensure safe, high-quality care. Announced April 23 by The Joint Commission, the new Telehealth Accreditation Program is designed for organizations that exclusively provide care, treatment and services via telehealth. Hospitals and other healthcare…

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Editor's Note Microscopic stainless steel debris on the insides of biopsy needles prompted the FDA to issue a class 1 recall—indicating risk of death or serious injury—for Elekta Instrument’s Disposable Biopsy Needle Kit, which is used with the Leksell Stereotactic System for brain tissue sampling during neurosurgery, the disposable biopsy…

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Editor's Note Reports of spontaneous backup battery failure in Dreager Inc.’s Perseus A500 anesthesia workstation and multiple failures in InfuTronix, LLC’s Nimbus infusion pump systems prompted the FDA to classify manufacturer recalls as class 1, the most serious categorization indicating risk of serious harm or death. According to an April…

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Editor's Note A January complaint about inefficient packaging for joint replacement products has prompted the manufacturer to recall certain knee and shoulder system devices after initially declining to take the products off the market, according to an April 23 report in Health Exec. The manufacturer, Exactech, is now recalling a…

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Editor's Note The second-ever living recipient of a gene-edited pig kidney was the first to have the new organ paired with a mechanical heart pump, according to an April 24 CNN report. The subject, 54-year-old Lisa Pisano, underwent the milestone surgery at NYU Langone Health. She had heart failure and…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration has designated DeRoyal Industries’ recall of GeoMed custom tracecarts a class 1, the most serious type of recall indicating a risk of serious injury or death. According to the April 24 FDA notice, the recall is due to sterility concerns with the…

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Editor's Note Personal information about a “substantial portion of people in America” could be at risk from the February 21 cyberattack on UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare division, The Associated Press reported April 23. Although the company reports no signs of full medical histories or charts were released, notifying all who were…

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Editor's Note An AI prediction model that uses near-real-time data to generate a patient risk score shows the promise of AI for helping physicians and nurses coordinate on patient care, according to findings published March 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Performed by researchers at Stanford Medicine, the study examined an…

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