Editor's Note Unnecessary traffic, workflow interruptions, and lapses in protocol in the OR increase the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs), according to an April 23 article in Infection Control Today. While sterile technique, antibiotic use, and instrument cleanliness remain front-line defenses against infection, authors Katharine J. Hoffman, MPH, CIC, and…

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Editor's Note Tariffs on medical equipment and supplies continue to climb—a situation that calls for action on the part of healthcare organizations, according to an April 23 article from nonprofit safety organization ECRI. The article highlights ten proactive steps organizations can take to protect both care quality and the bottom…

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Editor's Note EEG-guided anesthesia reduces drug use and speeds recovery in children, according to an April 22 report in Neuroscience News. The article focuses on a clinical trial, conducted in Japan and published April 21 in JAMA Pediatrics, comparing standard anesthesia dosing with EEG-guided dosing in more than 170 surgical…

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Editor's Note Hospital units with more RNs and fewer long shifts experience significantly lower rates of staff sickness absence, while understaffing and long shifts drive nurse illness, according research published April 22 in JAMA Network. The retrospective longitudinal case-control study involved 18,674 RNs and nursing support (NS) staff across 116…

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Editor's Note Sudden, unexpected shutdown and restart prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to designate a class 1 recall—the most severe category reserved for serious risk of injury or death—for Abbot’s HeartMate Mobile Power Unit, which powers system controllers for the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS)…

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Editor's Note A recent article in HealthLeaders profiles an innovative approach to alleviating nurse burnout—one that the outlet calls “a four-legged answer to nurse wellbeing.” Launched in 2020 at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the Buckeye Paws program brings certified therapy dogs directly to nursing units, offering nonjudgmental,…

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Editor's Note Helping patients taper opioids preoperatively before deploying multimodal care strategies can help prevent instances of patients already with prescriptions going home with even higher doses. That’s the main takeaway from an April 22 MedCentral interview with Marie N. Hanna, MD, division chief for regional anesthesia and acute pain…

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Editor's Note Research published in Nature reveals that DNA damage caused by colibactin-producing gut bacteria is far more prevalent in younger patients with colorectal cancer, NBC News reports, suggesting a key factor behind the disturbing rise in cases among people under 40.  According to the April 23 article, researchers from…

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Editor's Note Augmented reality (AR) guidance keeps surging in perioperative practice: Pixee Medical just secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its Knee+ NexSight system for total knee arthroplasty, while Augmedics’ xvision platform has already guided 10,000 US spine surgical procedures and is rolling out a new CT-Fluoro registration upgrade. According to…

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Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders elevate safety by treating patient selection as a clinical gatekeeper, then prop that rigor with data-driven workflows, advanced monitoring, and targeted robotics to bring complex spine cases safely into the outpatient space. An interview with Glenn Snyders Jr, MD, medical director and head…

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