Editor's Note In this study, Canadian researchers succeeded in isolating infectious particles of the COVID-19 virus from air samples collected from hospital rooms. A total of 30 samples were collected from 10 different rooms of patients with COVID-19 and then frozen in a biobank for 14 months. The researchers were…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 19, posted the Top 5 requirements and corresponding elements of performance (EPs) identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews in 2022. The Top 5 for Hospitals have to do with: Implementing infection control activities when performing intermediate and high-level disinfection…

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Editor's Note This pilot study from the Indiana University School of Medicine finds that peer-support groups can be beneficial in reducing healthcare worker (HCW) stress and burnout. A total of 24 emergency department physicians participated in the study. The researchers evaluated the effects of 8 weeks of virtual, group-based peer…

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Editor's Note In a letter, the American Hospitals Association, on April 19, announced its support for the reintroduction of the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (H.R. 2584), which would give healthcare workers legal protections against assault and intimidation similar to that of flight crews and airport workers. The…

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Editor's Note This study from Finland examines the associations between nurse understaffing and limited work experience on the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Patient and staff data from 40 care units and 261,067 admissions in one hospital district in Finland were analyzed. The researchers found that 1- or 2-day exposure…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), on April 19, released new breast cancer standards that put the individualized needs of the patients first and focus on shared decision-making. Previous standards addressed surgical care issues through an interdisciplinary lens, but they were…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 19, identified the recall by Fresenius Kabi USA of its Ivenix Infusion System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of a leak in the system that allows fluid to enter the administration set loading area…

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Editor's Note In this study from the UK, researchers find that two-thirds of carbon contributions in the OR can be attributed to single-use items and one-third to reusable products used in five common surgical procedures. The mean average carbon footprint includes: 85.5 kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) for knee arthroplasty…

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Editor's Note In this British Medical Journal editorial, experts say that female healthcare workers (HCWs) need better protection of their breast tissue from routine ionizing radiation, and they urge implementation of more rigorous radiation protection standards. The experts make the following recommendations: reducing the duration of exposure increasing the distance…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on April 13, updated prescribing information for all opioid pain medications, including requiring all packaging to have updated labeling and safety information. This includes stating that: for both immediate-release (IR) and extended release/long acting (ER/LA) opioid pain medications, the risk of overdose…

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