Editor's Note Cybersecurity experts are warning that Ransomware 2.0 is coming, and healthcare needs to be prepared, the August 8 Healthcare IT News reports. Ransomware 2.0 combines ransomware with a worm, which allows it to move laterally or across internal and external networks. Because the next wave of attacks will…

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Editor's Note Researchers have released a surgical technical evidence review for colorectal surgery (published online August 7 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons) as the first step in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery, a nationwide program to…

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Editor's Note The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, was ranked the nation’s top hospital by US News & World Report in its 2017-2018 Honor Roll of Best Hospitals. The Honor Roll consists of 20 hospitals with the highest combined overall scores in 16 medical-surgical specialties. Cleveland Clinic was second, Johns Hopkins…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 7 announced the release of a new manual, “Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety,” to help guide surgeons in leading quality improvement and patient safety efforts in their organizations. The collaborative publication from 135 contributing authors and two surgeon…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 4 classified the recall by Datascope Corp/Maquet (Mahwah, New Jersey) of its intra-aortic balloon pump as Class I, the most serious. The recall was issued because of the risk of a valve failure, which prevents the balloon from inflating and…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on July 28 issued a Safety Alert for compounded triamicinolone and moxifloxacin for intravitreal injection by Guardian Pharmacy Services (Dallas, Texas). [The Guardian Pharmacy Services in Dallas is not affiliated with the national long-term care Guardian Pharmacy Services, LLC headquartered in Atlanta.] The…

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Editor's Note Screening elderly patients preoperatively using the Vulnerable Elders Surgical Pathways and Outcomes Assessment (VESPA) tool helped identify patients at higher risk of postoperative complications in this study. A total of 736 patients 70 years of age or older were assessed in a preoperative clinic from July 9, 2008,…

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Editor's note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 31 announced the recall by ICU Medical, Inc (San Clemente, California) of one lot of 0.9% sodium chloride injection, USP 1,000 mL. The recall was issued because of a confirmed customer complaint of particulate matter identified as stainless steel in…

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Editor's Note The 2017 National Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Week is August 7 to 11. ASCs across the country will host a variety of activities and events to celebrate, including educational seminars, tours of ASCs, health screenings, and social media outreach. The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association has a National ASC…

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Editor's Note A well-structured water distribution and documentation process helped bariatric surgery patients drink more water and improve postoperative outcomes, finds this study presented July 23 at the 2017 American College of Surgeons Quality and Safety Conference. The average baseline water intake for 12 patients was 381.5 mL during a…

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