Editor's Note The new Josie Robertson Surgery Center, opened by Memorial Sloan Kettering (New York City), is a first-of-its-kind facility that allows cancer patients to go home within a day of significant surgical procedures. The surgery center has 12 ORs and can accommodate 60 surgical procedures per day. Surgeons, anesthesiologists,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 4 issued two final orders to strengthen the requirements for surgical mesh to repair pelvic organ prolapse tranvaginally. One order reclassifies surgical mesh from class II (moderate risk) to a class III (high-risk) device. The second order requires manufacturers to…

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Editor's Note A new, optional advanced certification program for total hip and total knee replacement is now available from the Joint Commission. The program will help accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory surgery centers provide a consistent approach to patient care that reduces the risk of error and improves…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on January 5 announced that Baxter International, Inc (Deerfield, Illinois) is recalling two lots of IV solutions because of the presence of particulate matter. The particulate matter was determined to be an insect and was identified as a result of a customer complaint.…

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Editor's Note Very low pressure irrigation with saline is an acceptable, low-cost alternative for irrigating open fractures, this study finds. Managing open fractures requires wound irrigation and debridement, but the effectiveness of various pressures and solutions remains controversial. Researchers investigated the effects of castile soap versus normal saline irrigation delivered…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on December 31, 2015, released draft guidance on “Public Notification of Emerging Postmarket Medical Device Signals (Emerging Signals).” The draft proposes a policy for how the FDA will notify the public about “emerging signals” (ie, new information) of possible device risks before…

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Editor's Note Nurses have topped Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics ratings every year but one since 1999, when they were added to the list. The exception was in 2001, when firefighters were included on the list on a one-time basis after September 11. With an 85% rating, nurses are 17…

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Editor's Note Patient safety approaches that combine teamwork training and systems interventions are more effective than either approach alone, this study finds. The study involved 4-month safety improvement interventions in 5 UK hospitals using teamwork training (TT); systems redesign and standardization (SOP); Lean quality improvement; SOP plus TT; or Lean…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons and American Geriatrics Society on January 4 released a new best practice guideline for optimal care of older adults before, during, and after surgery. The new guideline, “Optimal Perioperative Care of the Geriatric Patient,” addresses the care of surgical patients 65 years old…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 4 issued a draft guidance: “Unique Device Identification [UDI]: Convenience Kits—Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff.” The document outlines the FDA’s interpretation that the term “convenience kit,” as defined by 21 CFR 801.3, applies solely to…

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