Editor's Note New World Health Organization (WHO) guidance aims to prevent the occurrence of bloodstream and other infections caused by improper use of catheters during medical procedures. Released May 9, the global guidelines focus on insertion, maintenance, and removal of catheters during medical procedures, which can damage organs and cause…
Editor's Note New data show 10% of deaths from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a common and minimally invasive procedure to unclog arteries, are preventable. The study appeared in PLOS ONE on March 27. PCI is one of the most common surgical procedures. More than 500,000 Americans undergo the procedure each…
Editor's Note Data published February 21 in The BMJ points to air pollution as a factor in increased hospital admissions for major heart diseases. According to the Global Burden of Disease study, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) accounts for 7.6% of total mortality and 4.2% of disability-adjusted life years…
Editor's Note Due to its impact on a variety of organ systems, COVID-19 could elevate perioperative risks even among patients with mild symptoms, according to a study published in the February 2024 issue of Anesthesiology. Focused on patients presenting for elective inpatient surgery between April 2020 and April 2021, the…
Editor's Note A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by researchers at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai could help doctors better understand which patients are at greatest risk of dying following surgery, according to a December 15 report in Newswise. Based on findings originally published in the Lancet Digital…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers in Spain examines the optimal combination of moderate aerobic physical activities, vigorous aerobic physical activity, and muscle-strengthening activity to reduce all-cause cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Using data from the US National Health Interview Survey, a total of 500,705 participants were included in the…