Boston hospital stops OR intruder posing as surgical resident
Editor's Note A middle-aged woman pretending to be a surgical resident was able to gain access to 5 ORs over 2 days at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital without an identification badge before she was stopped, the February 5 Boston Globe reports. For several days the woman walked the halls…
FDA: Class I recall of Bard Halo One Thin-Walled Guiding Sheath
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 30 classified the recall by Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc (Tempe, Arizona) of its Halo One Thin-Walled Guiding Sheath as Class I, the most serious. The recall was issued because the sheath body may separate from the sheath hub while removing…
Rigorous reprocessing doesn’t free scopes of contamination
Editor's Note This study by Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and associates found that more rigorous reprocessing was not consistently effective in freeing endoscopes of contamination, and many had scratches and dents that could harbor blood, tissue, and bacteria. Even after reprocessing using current guidelines or additional measures, 12 of 20…
ACS opens enrollment for Children’s Surgery Verification QI Program
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on January 31 opened enrollment for participation in its Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program. The program was developed to improve the quality of children’s surgical care by creating a system to match each child’s individual surgical needs with a care environment…
FDA warns of allergic reactions to CHG
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 2 issued a warning that rare but serious allergic reactions have been reported with use of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). The FDA is requesting that manufacturers add a warning label about this risk to over-the-counter (OTC) products containing CHG. CHG is…
Tools lacking to assess readmission risks after joint replacement
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and care providers lack the predictive models needed to assess risks for readmission after joint replacements, finds this study. Researchers tested the applicability of the Carlson Comorbidity Index, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, and CMS Hierarchical Condition Category to see whether any…
Effect of nerve blocks on total knee outcomes
Editor's Note Nerve blocks in total knee patients were associated with statistically significant reductions in length of stay and readmissions, but no difference in emergency department visits or in-hospital falls, this Canadian study finds. In the analysis of 178,214 patients, adjusted: mean hospital stay was 4.7 days for patients with…
USPSTF finds insufficient evidence for OSA screening
Editor's Note In its process for issuing a new recommendation on screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in asymptomatic adults or adults with unrecognized symptoms, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence on screening for or treatment of OSA. The USPSTF concluded that the current evidence is…
Study: Tonsillectomies not beneficial long term
Editor's Note Children having tonsillectomies to improve the number of sore throats and throat infections, associated clinic visits, and days of school missed had improved outcomes in the first year after surgery compared with children not having surgery, but these benefits did not persist over time, this study finds. For…
FDA: Hospira recalls one lot of Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 25 announced the recall by Hospira, Inc (Lake Forest, Illinois) of one lot of Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection, (USP (NDC: 0409-6510-01, Lot 591053A, Expiry Date 1NOV2017). The recall was initiated because of a confirmed customer report of the presence of…
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