Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the rule that will require hospitals in 67 geographic areas to participate in a test of bundled payments for hip and knee replacements, Modern Healthcare reports. Medicare's average bundled payment ranges from $16,500 to $33,000 for surgery, hospitalization,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on November 13 identified the recall of Hamilton G5 Ventilators V2.00 and V2.31 as Class I, the most serious. The ventilator may stop working, without sounding an alarm, when the oxygen enrichment key is pressed to attach the mask to the patient. If…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 13 ordered Custom Ultrasonics (Ivyland, Pennsylvania) to recall all of its automated endoscope reprocessors from healthcare facilities because of federal law violations and a consent decree entered with the company in 2007. The violations could result in an increased risk…

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Editor's Note Readmission after emergency general surgery procedures is common and varies widely according to patient factors and diagnosis, this study finds. Of more than 177,000 patients analyzed, nearly 6% were readmitted within 30 days. The most common reasons were surgical site infections (16.9%), gastrointestinal complications (11.3%), and pulmonary complications…

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Editor's Note The Cleveland Clinic will perform uterus transplants in 10 women as part of a research study, the Washington Post reports. The candidates are women aged 21 to 39 who have uterine factor infertility. The procedure involves stimulation and freezing of multiple eggs, uterus donation from a deceased donor,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission is recognizing 40 years of accrediting ambulatory healthcare organizations with an online repository featuring photos, testimonials, and interviews with customers, staff, and surveyors. The ambulatory program covers a wide variety of organizations, including ambulatory surgery centers, cath labs, clinics, and imaging centers. Since 1975, the…

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Editor's Note When polled earlier this month, 79% of Connecticut voters did not know a 6% tax on ambulatory surgery center (ASC) procedures had been implemented as part of their new state budget, the West Hartford News reports. The tax, to be paid by service providers, could push 25% of…

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Editor's Note The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database underreports data on patients’ weight, body mass, alcohol use, and tobacco use, finds a study from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. Medicare uses NIS data to set reimbursement rates based on a hospital’s risk for readmissions and surgical complications. The…

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Editor's Note In patients requiring long coronary stents, the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided vs angiography-guided drug-eluting stent implantation resulted in a significantly lower rate (2.9% absolute reduction, 48% relative reduction) of major adverse cardiac events at 1 year, finds this study. These differences were mainly driven by the reduction…

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Editor's Note Enhanced recovery pathways are cost-effective compared with conventional perioperative management of colorectal patients, this study finds. Of 180 patients analyzed, mean length of stay was shorter (6.5 vs 9.8 days), return to work was quicker, and there was less care giver burden in the enhanced recovery group. The…

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