Surgical site infections often caused by preexisting bacteria
Editor's Note Most healthcare-associated surgical site infections are not caused by pathogens acquired in the hospital, but by previously harmless bacteria already present on patients’ skin prior to being admitted, according to a study published April 10 in Science Translational Medicine. Surgical site infections account for the highest annual costs…
Death, hospital readmission less likely for women treated by female doctors
Editor's Note A new study showing women treated by female doctors are less likely to die or be readmitted to the hospital adds to the growing body of evidence that women and minorities tend to receive worse medical care than men and white patients, NBC News reported April 22. Published…
FDA announces class 1 recalls for infusion pumps, anesthesia workstation
Editor's Note Reports of spontaneous backup battery failure in Dreager Inc.’s Perseus A500 anesthesia workstation and multiple failures in InfuTronix, LLC’s Nimbus infusion pump systems prompted the FDA to classify manufacturer recalls as class 1, the most serious categorization indicating risk of serious harm or death. According to an April…
Study finds workforce readiness gap in new nurses
Editor's Note A study published March 30 in Nurse Education in Practice found that the majority of nurses with less than 2 years of work experience are uncomfortable performing more complex procedures independently. Conducted by Singapore General Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital, and Singapore Institute of Technology, the study aimed to…
Private equity healthcare ownership draws new scrutiny
Editor's Note Over the last 10 years, private equity has taken over many of the nation’s health care facilities—from hospitals to nursing homes to physician practices—spending $1 trillion and instituting changes designed to rapidly increase profits, NBC News reported April 9. Studies have found that these takeovers can have serious…
Unveiling ECRI’s 2024 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns list
From integrating new technology to navigating shifts in care delivery and mitigating burnout, the most pressing challenges for healthcare organizations tend to be multifaceted problems that demand multifaceted solutions. For evidence of that, look no further than the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns 2024 list from ECRI. For every risk…
FDA announces class 1 recalls for premixed embolic, infusion pump software
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration has classified recalls of Boston Scientific’s Obsidio Conformable Embolic and Fresenius Kabi USA’s Ivenix Infusion System Large Volume Pump (LVP) software as class 1, the most serious category and an indicator of risk of serious injury or death. No injuries or deaths…
FDA Class 1 recall renews concern about historically problematic heart pumps
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced a Class 1 recall on Monday for Abbott/Thoratec Corp.’s HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) due due to biological material buildup obstructing the devices. According to an April 16 CBS News report, surgeons first noticed problems with the…
Researchers develop fast, accurate blood test for sepsis, septic shock
Editor's Note A new blood test developed by researchers in Australia could help diagnose sepsis and septic shock in just one hour, compared to the current multi-day methods. The Journal of Proteome Research reported the findings on March 21. Researchers collected blood plasma samples from 152 ICU patients. They used…
Study: 10% of deaths after PCI preventable
Editor's Note New data show 10% of deaths from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a common and minimally invasive procedure to unclog arteries, are preventable. The study appeared in PLOS ONE on March 27. PCI is one of the most common surgical procedures. More than 500,000 Americans undergo the procedure each…
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- Hospitals boost cybersecurity budgets, staff
- Kentucky passes first-ever state law decriminalizing medical mistakes
- Kaiser Permanente data breach affects 13.4 million
- Study explores link between diverticulitis and colorectal cancer
- State lawmakers target rising healthcare costs via legislation on hospital facility fees
- FDA medical device Class 1 recalls trend upward
- Data cast doubt on recommendation to delay weight-loss meds prior to surgery
- AAMI guidance covers sterile processing of dilators, ultrasound probes
- Surgical site infections often caused by preexisting bacteria
- The Joint Commission launches new telehealth accreditation program