Editor's Note The LivaNova factory in Munich, Germany, a manufacturer of heater-cooler units used in cardiothoracic surgery, appears to be the source of a global outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera, this study finds. Researchers matched the DNA of samples taken from 21 infected cardiothoracic surgical patients to samples from heater-cooler units…

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Editor's Note Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) announced July 11 that it has been designated a Health Care’s Most Wired 2017 by the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum. Hospitals & Health Networks, an AHA publication, annually assesses the level of health information technology adoption in US hospitals and health…

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Editor's Note A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) compares the effectiveness of strategies to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients having total hip replacement (THR), total knee replacement (TKR), or hip fracture surgery. The study directly compares different types of blood thinners and mechanical…

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Editor's Note Reporting of surgical site infections (SSIs) after pancreatic surgery should distinguish between superficial and organ-space infections, which will require different preventative strategies, this study finds. Results showed that risk factors for superficial and organ-space SSIs after pancreatic surgery differed. Preoperative biliary stenting was an independent risk factor for superficial…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on July 12 announced revisions to its Medication Management standards that will become effective January 1, 2018. Among the revisions: Implementing a policy to provide emergency backup of medication dispensing equipment. Adding “wasting” of medication to required written policies. Implementing a policy for medication overrides…

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Uncertainties pepper the healthcare landscape, but the shift to value-based care is expected to continue, even though momentum may slow under the current administration. That means perioperative services leaders must continue to explore new care delivery options such as the perioperative surgical home (sidebar, p 17). “The demand for value…

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Editor's Note Safety-net hospitals treat a disproportionate number of patients with advanced appendicitis and use laparoscopy less often, but their rates of morbidity and costs are similar to other hospitals, this study finds. In this analysis of 349 nonfederally funded hospitals in California performing 274,405 appendectomies, safety-net (compared with non-safety-net)…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons have jointly published new clinical practice guidelines on enhanced recovery after colon and rectal surgery. The enhanced recovery protocol is multidisciplinary, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and dietitians and involves all aspects of care…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 6 announced the recall by Oscor Inc (Palm Harbor, Florida) of its Atar extension cables. The recall was initiated because, during use, some of the cables were separating from the connectors at the proximal end. The Atar cable is an…

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Editor's Note Development of and adherence to quality indicators by providers may improve the quality of emergency general surgery, for which current outcomes are modifiable, finds this study. Of 25 quality indicators developed and rated as valid, there were 13 for patient-level and 12 for hospital-level quality. Adherence with 18…

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