Editor's Note When used after terminal cleaning, the pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light (PX-UV) significantly reduced contamination on high-touch surfaces in the OR, this study finds. This analysis included 1,464 surface samples from 136 ORs at 23 hospitals after terminal cleaning and again after PX-UV disinfection. Results showed the average colony forming…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 28 issued a notice proposing not to include three bulk FDA-approved drug substances−bumetanide, nicardipine hydrochloride, and vasopressin−on the list that outsourcing facilities may use in compounding drug products. The FDA is seeking public comment before finalizing their decision. Comments must…

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Editor's Note Use of a standardized, electronic nursing handoff communication process resulted in decreased boarding time in the emergency department (ED) and increased bed flow efficiency, this study finds. Before implementation of the electronic nursing handoff process, the average ready to move-to-occupied time was 83.6 minutes. This decreased to 49…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 28 issued a new Quick Safety advisory that focuses on evidenced-based, nonopioid and nonpharmacologic treatment options for pain. Among the options: behavioral/cognitive/psychological interventions (ie, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation) environmental-based interventions (ie, lighting alterations, music therapy) physical interventions (ie, acupuncture, massage therapy, spinal manipulation)…

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Editor's Note Patients who have Foley catheters placed by medical students in the OR are at increased risk of postoperative catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), this study finds. This analysis included 891 patients who had Foley catheters placed in the OR by surgical residents (547 patients), OR nurses (227), or…

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Editor's Note The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on August 23 issued 16 penalties to 13 hospitals and fines of more than $1 million. Among the penalties issued, four were OR related: OR fire unintended retention of a foreign object (blue towel) wrong site surgery malfunction of a heart-lung…

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Editor's Note In this study, no benefit of hypnosis before general anesthesia was found on postoperative pain, but it had other benefits, such as less fatigue and anxiety (especially in patients who thought they received hypnosis, but did not) and higher patient satisfaction scores. A total of 150 women having…

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Editor's Note A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia used enzymes from bacteria in the human gut to remove antigens from AB, A, and B blood, which effectively turns the blood into universal donor type O,  according to the August 21 bigthink.com. The team reported their findings…

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Editor's Note A multidisciplinary group gathered at an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality conference to develop a research agenda that includes immediately actionable and long-term research strategies to mitigate the emotional toll of harmful medical events on patients and families. The group reached consensus on four research priorities: Establish…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on August 22 that several revisions will be implemented to the Medication Compounding Certification program and Home Care Accreditation program’s Medication Compounding chapter, effective January 1, 2019. The revisions were made to maintain consistency with current United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 795 (Pharmaceutical Compounding−Nonsterile Preparations)…

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