$350 million invested in medical gowns for Strategic National Stockpile
Editor's Note Six US companies will manufacture approximately 250 million medical gowns as part of a government effort to shore up supplies that were subject to shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press (AP) reported October 3. Led by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the initiative…
Port strike could cause severe healthcare supply shortages, AORN warns
Editor's Note A joint communication from AORN and the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP, a strategic partner of AORN) provides advice and resources for affiliated healthcare professionals who could be impacted by the recent strike by port workers across major US shipping ports. Issued September 30, the statement…
Study: Depression, lack of support outweighed pandemic-specific influences on nurses leaving jobs in 2020
Editor's Note Coworker and employer support strongly influence nurses' intentions to remain in their jobs, while symptoms of depression are associated with nurses planning to leave, according to a study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Available to the public September 30…
Supply chain stress fractures demand rock-solid continuity planning
More than 4 years after personal protective equipment production and inventories crashed amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, the “new normal” in healthcare supply chains seems to be “uncertainty.” Although hospital margins are improving and patient volumes are trending upward, “stress fractures continue to remain in place,” says Michael Schiller, CMRP,…
Breaking down the surgical gown: Disposable versus reusable, latest innovations
There is movement happening in the world of surgical gowns. It is driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought new focus to the need for adequate stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE)—and for PPE that works as intended. Staff need to know their gowns incorporate the latest technology…
Postpandemic applicability, usage of UV disinfection technology
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of proper disinfection to manage and contain the spread of the disease. During the pandemic, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology played an important role in safeguarding public health and combatting COVID-19. Various uses of UV technology have become available on the market and can be…
SSI rates before, after reuse of PPE during pandemic
Editor's Note This study from Trinity Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, compares prepandemic surgical site infection (SSI) rates before reusing personal protective equipment (PPE), to pandemic SSI rates after reusing PPE in trauma surgical patients. A total of 48,987 patients were included in the analysis, with half in the postpandemic group.…
Using human-AI collaboration to monitor PPE donning, doffing
Editor's Note This Australian study compares the accuracy of monitoring personal protective equipment (PPE) donning and doffing between an artificial intelligent (AI) machine collaborating with a remote buddy support system and an onsite buddy. The researchers conducted a pilot simulation study with 30 procedural scenarios (15 donning and 15 doffing)…
AAMI releases updated protective barriers standard
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has revised the ANSI/AAMI PB70 Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended for use in healthcare facilities. This revised standard provides healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the barrier protection properties of available protective apparel. The…
FDA updates Safety Communication on Halyard surgical N95 respirators
Editor's Note In response to questions, on April 21, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided an update to its Safety Communication that enables the use of existing inventory of the O&M Halyard FLUIDSHIELD Surgical N95 Respirator Masks, Orange (Regular), Level 3, (Model 46727). The FDA recommends that, if necessary,…
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