Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 21 announced the recall by Fujifilm of its ED-530XT duodenoscopes. The recall includes replacement of the ED-530XT forceps elevator mechanism including the o-ring seal, replacement of the distal end cap, and a new operations manual. The FDA cleared the updated…
Editor's Note The combination of two molecular biology tests is the first to distinguish, with near certainty, pancreatic lesions that mimic early signs of cancer but are completely benign, this study finds. The vascular endothelial growth factor-A test alone singled out benign serious cystic neoplasms with a sensitivity of 100%…
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 14 issued a proposed rule that would update FY 2018 Medicare inpatient payments and policies. Among the changes, the rule: would increase payment rates by 1.6%, after accounting for inflation and other adjustments required by law includes an…
Editor's Note A middle-aged woman pretending to be a surgical resident was able to gain access to 5 ORs over 2 days at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital without an identification badge before she was stopped, the February 5 Boston Globe reports. For several days the woman walked the halls…
Editor's Note In this study of flexible gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes, none demonstrated clinically relevant contamination at hang times ranging from 7 to 555 days, and most remained uncontaminated up to 56 days after reprocessing. The data suggest that properly cleaned and disinfected GI endoscopes could be stored safely for longer…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 17 issued a Safety Communication to inform Pentax ED-3490TK video duodenoscope users of updated recommendations to help prevent the spread of infection associated with the use of these devices. Since a February 19, 2016, Safety Communication to inform users about…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 13 issued a Safety Communication that Fujifilm Medical Systems (Wayne, New Jersey) will remove its legacy 250/450 duodenoscope models from clinical use based on the limited number currently in use. Fuji will replace the 250/450 models with the ED-530XT model,…
Editor's Note A novel model by researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, uses natural language processing to predict readmission risk by incorporating physical function, cognitive status, and psychosocial support--three areas that may impact readmission but are poorly captured with structured data sources. The final model had 16 variables, a…
Editor's Note A nurse manager’s practice environment was a significant predictor of job satisfaction and intent to leave, this study finds. Of 355 nurse managers surveyed, using the Nurse Manager Practice Environment Scale: Job satisfaction was 4.5 on a 6-point scale. Mean intent to leave was 5.0 on a scale…
Editor's Note This study found that hospital-acquired pressure ulcers add 44% to the cost of major surgical hospital stays, but the amount varies depending on length of stay. Using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases and the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System for 2011…