Editor's Note A single training session on waste segregation significantly increased recycling rates among OR staff, but gains began to erode within two months, according to a study published May 26 in Nature: Scientific Reports. Conducted at Ankara University Cebeci Hospital, the quasi-experimental study assessed the impact of a single-session,…

Read More

Editor's Note An experimental compound developed at Duke University School of Medicine provides strong pain relief without the side effects or addiction potential of opioids, according to a May 19 announcement from the university. Known as SBI-810, the drug targets a specific receptor in the nervous system and uses a…

Read More

Editor's Note America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Stop the Bleed program have launched a national collaboration to strengthen trauma response and emergency preparedness, according to a May 30 announcement. The initiative connects public education in bleeding control with efforts to maintain a stable national…

Read More

Editor's Note An AI-powered wearable camera has achieved 99.6% accuracy in detecting potentially deadly drug mix-ups, including in the OR, NBC News reported May 25. Developed by Kelly Michaelsen, MD, at UW Medicine, the smart glasses scan medication labels in real time, alerting anesthesia providers to syringe-vial mismatches before drugs…

Read More

Editor's Note Capability to achieve results on par with or better than humans using laparoscopic techniques demonstrates the extent to which autonomous surgical robots are rapidly evolving toward clinical readiness, according to John Hopkins University robotics researchers writing may 27 in IEEE Spectrum. The system detailed in the article, Johns…

Read More

Preventing infection from contaminated surgical tools requires attention to every link in a complex chain of processes, from point-of-use pretreatment in the OR to the moment the freshly disinfected or sterilized item arrives at the next patient’s bedside. For those on the front lines, manufacturers’ written instructions for use (IFUs)…

Read More

Editor's Note Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) have pioneered a hydrogel that regenerates bone and adheres to tissue using only visible light—eliminating the need for traditional bone grafts or adhesives. As detailed in a December 2024 article from ScienceDaily, this injectable hydrogel offers a breakthrough solution…

Read More

Editor's Note Surgeons across top US health systems are swapping traditional monitors and even robotic systems for augmented reality (AR) headsets, which are streamlining procedures, enhancing precision, and slashing costs, Modern Healthcare May 27 reports. As detailed in the article, AR headsets are rapidly emerging as valuable surgical tools. From…

Read More

Editor's Note German health technology startup Medical Decision Alliance (MDA) has raised €3.3 million in seed funding to teach AI systems to think like top surgeons, leveraging human-like clinical intuition to guide OR teams. Tech Funding News reported the development May 22. As detailed in the article, which is focused…

Read More

Editor's Note AI systems are only as secure and reliable as the data that powers them. That’s the central message of a guidance sheet jointly issued May 22 by the NSA, CISA, FBI, and cybersecurity agencies from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The document outlines best practices for securing…

Read More