Part 1 of this two-part series discussed the splashes and the potential for exposure to pathogens that personnel face daily in sterile processing and endoscopy departments, as well as the current guidelines and strategies for reducing exposures (OR Manager, July 2021, pp 1, 9-11, 15). These risks were derived from…

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This year, the American Hospital Association reports that hospitals could lose between $53 billion and $122 billion in revenue. Public health and the healthcare sector faced severe physical, mental, and financial stressors in 2020. Although some pandemic-driven burdens are finally easing, US hospitals are expected to face enormous fiscal losses…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, finds that US hospitals may not be adequately prepared for future pandemics. The 10-year analysis found only marginal improvements in a measurement to assess preparedness—Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI)—during the years leading up…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 2 identified the recall by Medtronic Vascular of its angiographic guidewire component as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the devices were not sterilized before being shipped to hospitals. The guidewire is used during angiography or other interventional…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 30 announced that it is revoking the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for non-NIOSH-approved disposable respirators (including N95s), effective July 6. The announcement also revokes EUAs for decontamination and bioburden reduction systems for disposable respirators, effective immediately. The FDA says the…

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Editor's Note ECRI announced June 30 that it had been chosen by the Belgium-based International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI) to develop the first large-scale database of new and promising pharmaceutical products. ECRI will curate and maintain a database of pharmaceuticals expected to enter the European market within the next 2…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on June 25, identified the recall of DeRoyal Industries’ surgical procedure packs as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the packs contain 1% lidocaine that had been mislabeled as 0.5% bupivacaine. The procedure packs are used for cardiac…

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Editor's Note ECRI, on June 23, named Mon Health System of Morgantown, West Virginia, the winner of its 15th Health Devices Achievement Award. Mon Health System partnered with Intermed Labs at Mon Health, a MedTech startup studio that connects individuals who have ideas for improving patient outcomes with the expertise…

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Does it really matter if surgical instruments are submerged in cleaning solution when technologists or nurses scrub them after a case? Is there a reason for the 3-foot separation between dirty and clean areas? Do germs stop at the red line? During the COVID-19 pandemic, much attention has been focused…

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As the nation gradually resumes activities that have been restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic, OR Manager looks forward to hosting two fall conferences. The OR Business Management Conference (ORBMC) takes place in San Diego, September 27-29, and the OR Manager Conference follows in Chicago, October 20-22. There has never been…

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