Elective surgical procedures that were temporarily suspended in mid-March are now on the table—or soon will be—at some US facilities. The ban, announced on March 18 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), was enacted to free up resources for facilities overwhelmed by surges of COVID-19 patients. On…

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The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on all aspects of healthcare delivery worldwide. For children’s hospitals, the crisis has created unique challenges in ensuring patient and provider safety as well as helping to contain the spread of COVID-19 through their communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control…

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Coronavirus cases in the US topped 1 million in late April. Although total numbers of cases and deaths change daily and vary greatly among urban vs rural regions of the country, it’s safe to say we haven’t yet seen the last of the surges. Despite ongoing shortages of personal protective…

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that led the United States to declare a national emergency and implement a ban on all elective diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as elective surgery in inpatient and outpatient settings. On March 19, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) released guidance…

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Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is arguably the greatest advancement in surgery in the last 20 years. But even healthcare leaders who support the use of ERAS to achieve better outcomes can find it daunting to implement the protocols throughout their hospital systems. Standardizing practices across areas that have historically…

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Editor's Note In this study from BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, a multidisciplinary team that included surgeons created a new process for disinfecting and reusing N95 masks, using vaporized hydrogen peroxide. The process allows healthcare workers (HCW) to reuse masks up to 20 cycles, and…

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The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented strains on hospitals and healthcare systems, leaving many organizations with limited resources to care for severely ill patients. States, regions, hospitals, and health systems have had to reassess their resources, identify bottlenecks, and develop strategies for increasing critical care capacity. Creating the critical care…

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OR nurses are being asked to serve in positions outside the operating room and experiencing changes in their schedules, and they are concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. To support OR nurses during this time of crisis, AORN has been holding town hall Q&A webinars with infection preventionists,…

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The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating, especially for those who have lost loved ones or income due to sudden unemployment. For healthcare workers and emergency services providers, fear of contracting the disease is now a daily part of life. The virus has commanded exclusive coverage in OR a.m. for…

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The hazards of surgical smoke are well documented. As far back as 2004, AORN began publishing guidelines to reduce exposure to surgical smoke and aerosolized particles during operative and invasive procedures. These guidelines can also be adopted to help protect COVID-19 patients and frontline healthcare staff who are exposed to…

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