Editor's Note Medical chart review for surgical site infections (SSIs) that were identified through administrative data is an efficient supplemental SSI surveillance strategy following total hip and knee arthroplasty, this study finds. Of 162 patients with potential SSIs identified by diagnosis or procedure code, 46 (28%) were confirmed as an…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, identifies the most frequently touched surfaces in the OR and their level of contamination. The top high touch surface was the anesthesia computer mouse, followed by the OR table, nurse computer mouse, OR door, and anesthesia cart. Using the…

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Editor's Note In this study, a nonpunitive and collaborative peer methodology for assessing endoscope reprocessing at five Johns Hopkins GI endoscopy sites (three hospital based and two ASCs) was successful in capturing and sharing best practices for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of endoscopes. The assessments showed that 20 (42%) of…

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Some complex medical devices cannot withstand high-temperature sterilization. An alternative is low-temperature sterilization, which works for heat- and moisture-sensitive devices. There are different types of low-temperature sterilizers, and this article will review them.   Spaulding classification A deciding factor in whether an instrument can undergo high-level disinfection is the Spaulding…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dropped its recall of approximately 2,800 Custom Ultrasonics’ System 83 Plus automated endoscope reprocessors. This action comes despite the FDA's finding last year that the recall was “necessary to protect public health,” the May 6 Kaiser Health News reports. The FDA…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on April 22 issued interim guidance for protecting workers, including healthcare workers, from occupational exposure to the Zika virus. The guidance states that: “Employers and workers in healthcare settings and laboratories should follow…

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A new tool that assesses postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) risk in spine patients shows promise for improved patient care. Research on the tool, developed by a nurse, is still ongoing, but early results suggest the tool could help clinicians develop strategies to prevent many SSIs. Postoperative SSI rates for…

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Editor's Note A new congressional investigation shows that the number of infections from contaminated duodenoscopes is much higher than previously estimated, the April 15 Los Angeles Times reports. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told investigators that from 300 to 350 patients at 41 facilities in the US and abroad…

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Editor's Note Surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University hospitals will transplant kidneys from donors with hepatitis C virus (HCV) as part of a clinical trial this spring, STAT news reports. The recipients will be given a 12-week course of antiviral therapy after the transplant in hopes…

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Editor's Note Patient safety in hospitals improved from 2010 to 2014 as the overall rate of hospital-acquired conditions (HACS) declined 17%, according to the new National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Patients Safety Chartbook from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The overall HAC rate declined from 145/1,000…

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