Editor's Note ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) are joining global leaders in celebrating World Patient Safety Day, September 17, 2020. This year’s theme is “Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety.” In honor of the day and to support healthcare workers, ECRI has launched a…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from India’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Israel’s Technion-IIT discover how to recharge used N95 masks after decontamination to recover their 95% efficiency. Also included is a proof-of-concept construction of a battery-operated smart mask. N95 masks are 95% efficient at filtering out 0.3…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that adults with positive COVID-19 test results were almost twice as likely to have dined in a restaurant (including indoor, patio, and outdoor seating) within 2 weeks of developing symptoms. The study included 615 potential case…

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Editor's Note This cohort study of US children with COVID-19 or seasonal flu found no difference in hospitalization rates, ICU admission rates, or mechanical ventilator use between the two groups. More COVID-19 patients reported clinical symptoms at the time of diagnosis. The study included 315 children with COVID-19 (median age…

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Editor's Note Dozens of nursing homes and hospitals ignored official guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to separate COVID-19 patients from those without the virus, the September 10 Kaiser Health News reports. A Kaiser Health News investigation found that nursing homes and hospitals ignored (CDC) guidelines…

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Editor's Note Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis is the clinical coordinating center for a new worldwide clinical trial to test whether the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) can protect frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) against COVID-19. The researchers say there are two main reasons why the…

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Editor's Note In this international meta-analysis, researchers found that the administration of systemic corticosteroids was associated with lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The meta-analysis included seven randomized studies from 12 countries that involved 1,703 critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patients had been randomized to receive systemic dexamethasone,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced September 9 that it has refreshed the Accelerate PI Dashboard Report data for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. The reports reflect the most recent and available external data from CMS’ Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare websites as well as…

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Editor's Note This Italian study finds that patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had a 30% lower in-hospital mortality rate compared to those not receiving this treatment. Researchers examined outcomes of 3,451 patients in 33 COVID-19-focused hospitals throughout Italy. Of these, 2,634 patients received HCQ. Timing of the first dose after…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 4 reported on prescribing patterns of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine by provider specialty in the US between January and June 2020. New prescriptions by specialists who do not typically prescribe hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine increased from 1,143 in February 2020…

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