Editor's Note As hospitals face a surge of COVID-19 patients, the ability for them to care for trauma cases and medical and surgical emergencies is severely compromised. Because of this, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on April 7 issued a statement calling for strategies to preserve capacity and capability…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Stanford University create an algorithm to protect OR teams who perform urgent and emergency surgical procedures from the coronavirus and rationally conserve the personal protective equipment (PPE) they wear. Incuded in the decision tree algorithm: Patients were triaged by severity of illness into…

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Editor's Note Specialists like cardiac and orthopedic surgical teams as well as anesthesiologists and cardiologists are being redeployed in hospitals to help treat the rising number of COVID-19 patients, the March 30 Modern Healthcare reports. What used to be the heart team at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Morningside is now a…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS), Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) on March 24 released a joint statement regarding decision making on elective surgeries. The statement includes that: "A Surgical Review Committee, composed of surgery, anesthesiology, and nursing personnel is…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention on March 17 updated its strategies for optimizing personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, including facemasks. The strategies are based on surge capacity and include: *Conventional capacity: Patient care is provided without any change in daily practices. Use facemasks according to product…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 18 released recommendations that all elective surgeries and nonessential medical, surgical, and dental procedures be delayed during the COVID-19 outbreak. As more healthcare providers are asked to assist with the COVID-19 response, it is important that they consider…

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Editor's Note In consultation with clinical experts and in response to government guidance that hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) postpone elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) released a statement March 18 on how and when facilities should proceed with cases that should…

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Editor's Note A new novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the disease COVID-19, is the third highly pathogenic human coronavirus that has emerged in the last two decades. The other two are the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respirtory Syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses. This analysis of 22 studies finds…

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Editor's Note Because of the coronavirus outbreak and recommendations from the American College of Surgeons and US Surgeon General, healthcare systems across the US are cancelling or postponing elective surgical procedures, the March 16 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. These steps are being taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus and…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on March 13 updated its recommendations for the management of elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. Among the recommendations: Each hospital, healthcare system, and surgeon should: review all scheduled elective procedures with a plan to minimize, postpone, or cancel elective operations,…

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