Editor's Note A multidisciplinary cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) team at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, recently conducted a bedside surgery simulation of a resternotomy to develop a new protocol for the lifesaving procedure, according to the June 15 VUMC Reporter. When a cardiac surgical patient starts bleeding postoperatively…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) announced on June 14 that they had verified the first four hospitals as part of the recently launched Vascular Verification Program (Vascular-VP). To receive verification, these hospitals displayed a commitment to improving outcomes and delivering the…

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Editor's Note This study, led by researchers in Belgium, finds that surgeons’ leadership style enhances surgical team behavior, especially during the most complex phases. A total of 22 endovascular procedures (47 hours of video recordings) were analyzed. Among the findings: Surgeons’ transformational leadership was positively related to the extent that…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on June 5, identified the recall by Abiomed of specific Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist heart pumps as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of fluid leaking from the purge sidearm of the pump. If the leak issue is…

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Editor's Note This article by nurse researchers at Washington University in St Louis and University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, shows how mentorship can positively affect role transitioning from an experienced RN to a novice acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) in a cardiothoracic ICU. The authors note the differences between preceptors,…

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Editor's Note Though the processes of care for emergency coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery were altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, patient mortality did not change for COVID-19-negative patients; however, COVID-19 positive patients did have significantly higher mortality as well as infectious complications, finds this study presented May 6 at…

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Editor's Note This update to the 2014 "Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute Care Hospitals" recommends that antibiotics be discontinued after a patient’s incision has been closed in the OR, even if drains are present. The expert panel members writing the update add that continuing antibiotics after closure…

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Editor's Note A study led by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, New York, finds use of a timed storage and dispensing device for bulk-packaged electrocardiography (ECG) electrodes significantly improves compliance. The study included seven operating rooms (ORs) that used a bin with an automated countdown timer…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 26, announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement to count the volume of ventricular assist device (VAD) implants by surgeons will be reinstated on May 11. CMS stopped this requirement during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 31 identified the recall by Datascope/Getinge of certain Cardiosave Hybrid and Rescue Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABPs) for risk of unexpected shutdown after PCBA communication loss as Class I, the most serious. On March 17, the FDA also identified Datascope/Getinge’s recall…

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