FDA: Class I recall of Philips Medical System’s Forte Gamma Camera System
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on November 4 identified Philips Medical System’s (Cleveland) recall of its Forte Gamma Camera System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the potential for the detector, which weighs 660 pounds, to become detached from the device…
ACS NSQIP risk calculator predicts four outcomes for geriatric surgical patients
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) Surgical Risk Calculator accurately predicted four quality-of-life outcomes that transcend traditional measures of successful surgery and now reflects the expected effects of surgery on an older patient’s ability to function independently, finds this study presented October…
Cholecystectomy tied to better outcomes when performed soon after admission
Editor's Note Delaying a cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis more than 3 days after admission increased the rate of complications, hospital readmissions, and lengthened hospital stays, in this study presented October 30 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019 in San Francisco. Using 2012 to 2016 ACS National Surgical…
Postop opioid prescribing, use drop after state imposed regulations
Editor's Note A state-mandated policy restricting opioid prescriptions in Vermont greatly reduced opioid prescribing and use by surgical patients at the University of Vermont Medical Center without affecting patient satisfaction with their postoperative pain management, finds this study presented October 29 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019…
12-hour call shifts improve patient outcomes, lower costs
Editor's Note An acute-care surgery model that caps surgeon call shifts at 12 hours instead of 24 hours for covering surgical emergencies has led to shorter hospital stays, lower infection rates, and lower overall costs for patients with acute appendicitis, finds this study presented October 30 at the American College…
Joint Commission issues Quick Safety on new maternal hemorrhage standard
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 29 announced a new “Quick Safety 51: Proactive prevention of maternal death from maternal hemorrhage,” which provides background information on strategies outlined in a new maternal hemorrhage standard. The new Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services (PC) standard, "PC.06.01.01: Reduce the likelihood of…
AI outperforms clinicians’ judgment in triaging postop patients to ICU
Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of a machine-learned algorithm correctly triaged the vast majority of postoperative patients to the ICU, in this pilot study presented October 29 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019 in San Francisco. The algorithm included 87 clinical variables and 15…
Association of disposable OR jackets with SSIs
Editor's Note The use of long-sleeved disposable OR jackets as recommended by AORN is not associated with reductions in surgical site infections (SSIs) and presents a fiscal burden, this study finds. In this analysis of 60,009 patients in 12 hospitals in a large multicenter health organization during a 55 month…
FDA of device shortages because of sterilization facility closures
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 25 released a statement warning of possible device shortages because of interruptions in ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization services due to facility closures in Illinois and Georgia. In the statement, the acting FDA Commissioner, Ned Sharpless, noted that “at this time…
Mayo Clinic Care Network reduces hospital stays with ERPs
Editor's Note An Enhanced Recovery Pathway (ERP) created by the Mayo Clinic’s colorectal surgery service a decade ago has now been adopted by other surgical services in seven medical centers that are members of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, the October 15 Harvard Business Review reports. The ability of each…
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