Editor's Note Preoperative use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (RA) medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy is safe, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Controversy has swirled around these drugs due to the risk of slowed stomach emptying increasing a patient’s odds…

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Editor's Note Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic diabetes treatment and Wegovy weight-loss treatment, outperformed a placebo and demonstrated capacity to reduce risk of death from kidney-related or cardiovascular causes in a recent study of patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease spearheaded by manufacturer Novo Nordisk. Published…

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Over 20 years ago, an article from Johns Hopkins published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that Staphylococcus aureus decolonization of the nares can decrease risk of surgical site infections (SSI). Since then, nasal decolonization—the application of a topical antimicrobial or antiseptic agent to the nares—has been adopted…

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Editor's Note Average prices for healthcare services trended upward from 2018 to 2022 despite fluctuations in utilization of service, according to the annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report (HCCUR) from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). In the same timeframe, per-person spending increased nearly 19%. "Prices, in particular, pose a…

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Editor's Note The number of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class 1 recalls—the most serious classification—for medical devices has been trending upwards. Regulatory News, a publication of the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS), reported the news April 25.  According to the report, Anne Reid, program director of the Office…

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Editor's Note A recent analysis of insurance claims data suggests weight-loss medications like Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and other glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists do not increase risks associated with undergoing anesthesia. As reported April 22 in MedPage Today, these finding that contradicts a June 2023 recommendation from the American Society of…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lumisight (pegulicianine), a fluorescent imaging drug used to detect cancerous tissue during lumpectomy, on April 17. Administered intravenously prior to surgery, Lumisight is designed for use with the Lumicell Direct Visualization System (DVS) or another imaging device that is FDA-approved…

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Editor's Note Shortages of active drugs in the US have reached a new record, according to an April 12 CNN report on data from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the University of Utah Drug Information Service. The two organizations have been tracking this data since 2001, the CNN report says.…

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Editor's Note By putting the patient into deeper sedation during colonoscopy, propofol could help doctors find difficult-to-spot, potentially cancerous “serrated” polyps, according to a study published April 17 in Anesthesiology. As an alternative to moderate, “conscious” sedation, propofol facilitates a more thorough exam that is more likely to identify serrated…

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Editor's Note Gastrointestinal endoscopy could increase the risk of aspirational pneumonia in patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists (RAs) to manage weight or treat diabetes, according to an April 1 report from MedPage today. Citing research published in the journal Gastroenterology by a team led by Kevin Sheng-Kai Ma, DDS, of…

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