Editor's Note Postoperative telehealth for general surgery patients is both safe and effective, according to a study published on December 22 in The American Journal of Surgery. The study consisted of a retrospective review of 1,075 veterans undergoing qualifying procedures at a medical center from June 2019 to September 2021.…

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Editor's Note Published December 21, a year-long investigation by KFF Health News into medical device malfunctions found that the FDA allows the sale of most medical devices, including many implants, without requiring tests for safety or effectiveness. Instead, manufacturers need to show only that they have “substantial equivalence” to an…

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Editor's Note A study published in BMJ Open is “the first to present an illustrative model of clinicians’ real-world decision making for managing DDIs,” the outlet reported on December 1. DDIs, or drug-drug interactions, are known to cause significant harm (including death), hundreds of thousands of patients hospitalized each year…

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Editor's Note Researchers conducted the largest randomized study to date on use of the sedative midazolam in older patients, a drug sometimes used to calm patients prior to surgery. The results were published in JAMA Surgery on December 20. Highlights include: The study involved nine German hospitals and included more…

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Editor's Note Despite the increasing prevalence of robotic-assisted surgery, recent data on cholecystectomy results indicates minimally invasive laparoscopic methods could be a safer option. Published in JAMA Surgery on September 20, the nationally representative study of Medicare beneficiary cholecystectomy patients showed a higher rate of bile duct injury (0.7%) for…

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The concept of the hybrid OR was born in the 1990s, but healthcare institutions were originally slow to adopt the model due, in part, to the initial sizable investment required. While there was a steady uptick in adoption around 2008, today there are still only some 100 hybrid ORs in…

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Editor's Note A recent story on PBS NewsHour has recently looked at nurses’ vulnerability to burnout, and how it is impacting quality care. The story is part of the PBS series titled, “Critical Care: The Future of Nursing,” released on November 28. According to the story: A federal study last…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety notice on November 30 regarding quality concerns related to several Chinese manufacturers of syringes. The FDA is evaluating these devices for potential problems, including leaks, breakages, and the presence of particles in the syringes.  According to the safety…

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Editor's Note An online training program from the University of Birmingham’s Global Surgery Unit, called the EAGLE study, has been shown to reduce major postoperative complications following certain types of colon surgical procedures. The findings were published in the British Journal of Surgery on November 29. Researchers found that surgical…

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Editor's Note In this study first published by the Western Journal of Nursing Research in August 2023, virtual sitting technology was found to reduce burnout among nurses, particularly those who are already feeling drained and less committed. The study was titled, “An Experience Sampling Analysis of the Impact of Video…

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