Editor's Note Many youths continue to take opioids months after undergoing surgery, according to a recent multi-institutional study published in JAMA Network. Medical Xpress covered the news July 11. Conducted by researchers from CHOP, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford Medicine, the study found 1 in 6 youths…

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Editor's Note Intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine (DEX) could help improve glycemic control and reduce insulin requirements in diabetic patients undergoing cardiac surgery, according to a July 25 article in Medical Dialogues. The article focuses on a prospective observational study published in the journal Annals of Cardiac Anesthesia. The study included…

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Editor's Note The US Food & Drug Administration has designated recalls of Baxter’s Life2000 Ventilator and the I-Pack Injection Kit from Bausch + Lomb and subsidiary Synergetics Inc. as Class 1, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. According to FDA’s July 15 announcement, the ventilator…

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Editor's Note Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reduces cardiovascular risk factors independent of calorie restriction and weight loss, according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery. News-Medical.Net reported on the study July 4. Bariatric surgery, particularly RYGB, is more effective than non-surgical treatments for significant weight reduction and lowering cardiovascular…

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Editor's Note Female patients undergoing heart surgery are less likely than male patients to have concomitant procedures—that is, having additional ailments addressed during cardiac procedures—despite guidelines recommending such treatments, according to two studies led by Michigan Medicine. News-Medical.Net reported the news June 28. The first study, involving over 5,000 patients…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration has announced class 1 recalls—the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death—for Abbot Medical’s HeartMate System Monitor and Philips Respironics OmniLab Advanced+ (OLA+) ventilator. According to the agency’s June 28 report, the recall of the HeartMate System Monitor, part…

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Editor's Note Findings published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons show how a standardized handoff protocol can improve OR communication and reduce the risk of error, Medical Xpress reported on June 19. The study focused specifically on SHRIMPS, a standardized handoff protocol developed by the quality improvement…

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Editor's Note Alarm failures and missing details in instructional materials 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 different ventilator models on June 27. According to the report, failure in the Ventilator Inoperative alarm…

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Editor's Note In a first for Northwestern Medicine, surgeons performed a kidney transplant on an awake patient, CBS News reported June 24. John Nicholas, 28, of Chicago, experienced no pain during the May 24 procedure, in which he received an organ from a childhood friend. He was discharged the next…

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Editor's Note Research shows perioperative weight loss does not consistently improve outcomes or OR times in patients undergoing primary bariatric procedures, including laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Using…

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