Editor's Note After this October 2020 peer-reviewed study, titled “Disposable versus reusable medical gowns: A performance comparison,” found that “isolation gowns commonly worn in medical units or intensive care units ripped too easily and allowed about four to 14 times the expected amount of liquid to seep through when sprayed…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 6 that it would alter its emergency use authorization for the Paxlovid pill—Pfizer’s oral antiviral pill used by some to treat COVID-19—to allow pharmacists to prescribe the treatment to recently affected individuals directly. According to Fierce Pharma July…

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Editor's Note According to a report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), economic activity in the hospital subsector grew in June for the 25th consecutive month, Healthcare Purchasing News July 7 reports. Following are some observations, according to Nancy LeMaster, MBA, ISM chair for the Hospital Business Survey Committee:…

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Editor's Note According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 7-day average of daily hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 infection is up nearly 24% over the previous month, the American Hospital Association (AHA) June 6 reports. In addition, the CDC reported “nearly 30,000 hospitalizations” due to…

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Editor's Note According to a study analyzing national death certificate data by researchers at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the US between March 2020 and October 2021, Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN) July 6 reports. During…

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Editor's Note This study led by nurse researchers at The Ohio State University College of Nursing explores the professional and personal experiences of US nurse managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis, which includes views of 39 nurse managers from 5 US health systems, identifies three major themes—challenges, feelings and…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Boston University finds that maternal deaths increased 33.3% after March 2020, which corresponds with the onset of COVID-19. This is higher than the 22% overall excess death estimate associated with the pandemic. Among the findings: 1,588…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on June 28 recommended updating the composition of COVID-19 booster vaccines to target the Omicron variant. The Committee noted that booster doses consisting of an Omicron monovalent or bivalent vaccine could improve neutralizing antibody responses…

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Editor's Note According to Politico June 25, the Biden Administration via the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) decided not to disclose the names of individual hospitals where patients contracted COVID-19, citing “privacy concerns,” Becker’s Hospital Review June 27 reports. This stance is supported by the American Hospital Association…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from the Arizona Department of Health finds that healthcare associated infections (HAIs) significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). From 2016 through 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona acute care hospitals reported that HAIs decreased significantly: CLABSIs decreased 32%.…

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