Editor's Note Confusion about the scope of practice for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) prompted The California Department of Public Health to update guidelines for acute care hospitals, MedPage Today reported September 18. Issued after violations at two Modesto hospitals resulted in hundreds of cancelled surgeries, a letter from the…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated the recall of Smiths Medical’s Bivona Neonatal/Pediatric and Adult Tracheostomy tubes as a Class 1, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. According to the agency’s September 18 report, the recall is due to a…

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Editor's Note Research shows antibiotic-resistant infections could lead to 8.2 million deaths annually by 2050, representing a 75% increase from current rates, according to a September 17 article in HealthDay. Published in the Lancet, the new study highlights the growing threat of growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), predicting that…

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Editor's Note An analysis of two phase-III trials showed adjuvant administration of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus chemotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence or death in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by 40% compared to neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy alone, Medpage Today reported September 9. "With the caveat that…

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Editor's Note In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), The Joint Commission and The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International (JCI) invite organizations, health professionals, patients, and their advocates to recognize World Patient Safety Day Tuesday, September 17. This year’s theme is “improving diagnosis for patient safety.” This theme…

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Editor's Note Research shows black women are 25% more likely to undergo cesarean sections (C-sections) than white women, even when presenting similar medical histories, The New York Times reported September 10. The article focuses on a study analyzing nearly one million births across 68 New Jersey hospitals. Conducted between 2008…

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Editor's Note Lost organs, widespread fraud, and live donors mistakenly presumed deceased are among the alarming issues with the US organ transplant system detailed in a recent Congressional hearing, MedPage Today reported September 11. As part of the House Energy & Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, the hearing aimed to…

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Editor's Note The U.S. healthcare sector is projected to experience a shortage of 100,000 workers by 2028, according to an August 29 report by Mercer. This shortfall is expected to affect key roles such as nursing assistants, nurse practitioners, and specialized primary care physicians. Nursing assistants are projected to have…

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Editor's Note Recalls of certain devices and instruction updates for others prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue Class 1 recalls—the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death—for two groups of products: Medtronic’s McGrath MAC and MAC EMS Video Laryngoscopes and Breas Medical’s Vivo…

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Editor's Note Cyberattacks in August 2024 are the latest examples of a specific Iranian group intensifying efforts against US organizations since 2017, Healthcare IT News reported September 3. Citing an advisory issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Department of Defense…

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