Editor's Note This study from the Mayo Clinic of children undergoing general anesthesia before age 3 supports earlier findings of no significant impact on intelligence. However, multiple exposures may be tied to behavioral or learning difficulties. In this analysis of 997 children (411 unexposed, 380 singly exposed, 206 multiply exposed)…

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Editor's Note In an effort to bridge political differences and provide a constructive path forward, leaders of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma on April 19 released a set of strategies to reduce firearm-related injury, disability, and death by making ownership of firearms as safe as possible.…

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Editor's Note Inadequate reprocessing and insufficient drying contributed to retained fluid and contamination found inside flexible endoscopes in this study led by noted epidemiologist Cori L. Ofstead. Of 45 endoscopes analyzed at 3 hospitals, fluid was detected in 49%, and the prevalence of moisture varied significantly by site (5%, 83%,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 18 alerted healthcare providers and facilities about the risk of cross-contamination with 24-hour, multipatient use connectors used in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. Endoscope connectors are small accessories used to connect the auxiliary water channel to a water source and irrigation tubing.…

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Editor's Note A Coherent Market Insights report predicts the global market for spinal fusion devices is set to grow at a 4.6% compound annual growth rate through 2025, after hitting $7.5 billion in 2016, according to the April 17 Becker’s Spine Review. The increasing incidence of spinal deformities will boost…

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Editor's Note In this study, a significant mismatch was found between parents’ and pediatric surgeons’ expectations on the role of the surgeon on the day of surgery, with parents expecting more direct involvement by the attending surgeon. A total of 110 parents and 84 pediatric surgeons and surgical residents completed…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on April 17 announced that it had issued a new Sentinel Event Alert 59: Physical and verbal violence against healthcare workers. The Joint Commission issued the alert during Workplace Violence Awareness Month to help healthcare workers in hospitals and other healthcare settings recognize violence from…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 17 announced that it had approved a firmware update that is now available for certain Abbott (formerly St Jude Medical) implantable cardiac devices (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds). The update is a corrective action (recall) to reduce the…

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Editor's Note Daily narcotic use before adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery was associated with poorer outcomes 2 years postoperatively, this study finds. In this multicenter analysis of 575 patients, 425 had complete 2-year follow-up. A total of 44% reported daily preoperative narcotic use. Compared with non-daily users, daily narcotic users…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 13 announced the recall by Coastal Meds (Biloxi, Mississippi) of all nonexpired products marketed as sterile because of visible particles in some of the drug vials for injection and poor sterile production practices. The FDA on April 5 requested the…

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