Editor's Note This study from Linda Aiken, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, found that high levels of nurse burnout are associated with lower patient satisfaction. In this analysis of nurse burnout and patient satisfaction in 463 hospitals in four states, 50% of the hospitals where burnout…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on February 27 identified the recall by King Systems of its King Vision Video Laryngoscope Adapter (size ½) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because all devices from the affected lots show a reversed image on the display,…
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 27 updated its guidance for healthcare professionals evaluating and reporting patients under investigation for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The CDC has developed clinical criteria to guide patient evaluation based on what is known about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome…
Editor's Note Common definitions of malnutrition do not apply to all cancers, and the best approach for surgeons to identify malnourished cancer patients preoperatively is specifically related to the type of cancer the patient has, this study finds. Of 205,840 major cancer surgical procedures for six different cancers analyzed: 16%…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on February 25 identified the recall of Tytek Medical’s TM-317 PneumoDart-Pneumothorax Needle as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of blockage in the needles caused by the presence of adhesive from the assembly process. The company…
Editor's Note An automated drying and storage cabinet with forced filtered air is advantageous for rapid drying of endoscope internal and external surfaces and reducing the risk of microbial growth after reprocessing, this study finds. Using the automated drying cabinet, internal channels of all bronchoscopes, colonoscopes, and duodenoscopes studied were…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 26 announced that it had made minor modifications to its on-site survey process that will go into effect March 1, 2020. The modifications were made to better accommodate critical survey activities for all accreditation programs, except for laboratory services accreditation. The modifications also…
Editor's Note This study by William A. Rutala, PhD, MPH, and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which compared three low-temperature sterilization technologies to steam sterilization of simulated inadequately precleaned surgical tools, found steam sterilization to be the most effective and with the largest margin of…
Editor's Note In a February 25 telebriefing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will spread in the US, and hospitals and communities should begin ramping up their preparedness efforts, AHA Today reports. The CDC urged communities to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions or community…
Editor's Note In this review article, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and associates highlight the reasons endoscope reprocessing is often ineffective and microbes frequently remain on endoscopes after high-level disinfection. Among the reasons: non-adherence to guidelines use of damaged endoscopes use of insoluble products during endoscopy insufficient cleaning contaminated rinse water…