CDC: Risk of getting COVID-19 from surfaces is low
Editor's Note In a science brief based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) analysis of the latest available data, the agency says the risk of getting COVID-19 from surfaces “is generally considered to be low.” The CDC noted that: The risk of COVID-19 infection via surface transmission…
CDC: Fully vaccinated people are safe for domestic travel
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on April 2, updated its information for travelers to say people who are fully vaccinated can travel safely within the US. The update notes that fully vaccinated travelers do not have to be tested before or after travel unless required…
FDA: Class I recall of Medtronic Affinity Pixie Oxygenator and Cardiotomy/Venous Reservoir with Balance Biosurface
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 24, identified the recall by Medtronic of its Affinity Pixie Oxygenator and Cardiotomy/Venous Reservoir with Balance Biosurface as Class I, the most serious. The recall was issued because of potentially elevated levels of harmful bacterial endotoxins. Use of a device…
The Joint Commission releases 2020 sentinel event statistics
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on March 24, released its sentinel event statistics for 2020, which totaled 794. The top five most frequently reported events were: Falls: 170 Unintended retention of a foreign object: 106 Suicide: 81 Delay in treatment: 76 Wrong-site surgery: 68. The Joint Commission’s Office of Quality…
Kentucky is third state to enact legislation on surgical smoke evacuation
Editor's Note AORN announced on March 24 that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had signed into law new legislation that will require licensed hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to adopt and implement policies to prevent human exposure to surgical smoke. AORN’s government affairs team and Kentucky AORN members worked closely with…
Breathe easier with the right respiratory protection
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of respiratory protection in healthcare settings and in the community. Healthcare workers at high risk of infection need the most effective respiratory protection, and not all surgical masks and respirators are alike. Checking for proper fit, donning and doffing correctly, and following manufacturers’…
Vaccine hesitancy and variants challenge efforts to tame COVID-19
The Janssen Biotech, Inc/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 27, joining the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that received EUA in December 2020. In early March, President Biden said that the US would produce enough COVID-19 vaccines…
Editorial
This issue of OR Manager is being published just about a year after the nationwide shutdown that was implemented to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Failures on many fronts ensued in the months that followed, with an excessive death toll and unprecedented disruptions in every…
Importance of critical event debriefs cannot be overstated
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers nationwide have experienced patient deaths on a scale like never before. Whether from COVID-19 or other complications, surgical services staff sometimes lose patients despite their best efforts, and these failures to rescue can leave lasting psychological or emotional scars. Many healthcare facilities have ramped…
Hospitals ramp up outpatient TJA in the COVID-19 era
Fueled by a pandemic, patient demand, and competition with ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), hospital outpatient department (HOPD) leaders are feeling the push to offer same-day discharge for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Outpatient TJA is nothing new, but it’s certainly growing in popularity, says John W. Stirton, MD, MBA, medical director…
