Editor's Note In a March 4 press release, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) called on all healthcare providers to make sure they are implementing infection control practices, which they are required to maintain at all times, in an effort to limit the spread of the Novel Coronavirus…

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In October 2019, AORN released its updated Guideline for Sterilization Packaging, which is based on evidence from peer-reviewed literature. This article includes recommendations from that guideline and addresses common misconceptions about sterilization packaging. Other resources for proper use of sterilization packaging include the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation…

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Editor's Note AORN on February 14 released a new coronavirus (COVID-19) tool kit to support OR decision-making for the safety of healthcare workers and patients. The toolkit includes: World Health Organization updates Centers for Disease Control & Prevention updates ECRI Institute-Coronavirus Outbreak Preparedness Center resources Journal of the American Medical…

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Editor's Note: The Joint Commission announced on December 4 that it will soon unveil a new website design with a single sign-on for multiple sites, including Joint Commission Connect, Targeted Solutions tool, and the Joint Commission Resources webstore. When the new website launches, users will be prompted to reset their…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on October 18 released an update to its “Guideline for infection control in healthcare personnel, 1998.” The updated document, “Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Infrastructure and Routine Practices for Occupational Infection Prevention and Control Services (2019),” applies to a broader range…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 2 announced that it will be posting new survey readiness resource documents for its ambulatory, behavioral health, home care, nursing care center, and office-based surgery programs. These new Heads-Up Reports will be available October 4 on an organizations secure Joint Commission Connect extranet…

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Editor's Note Though recent guidelines mandating additional barrier attire for all scrubbed and unscrubbed OR personnel from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Joint Commission, which include bouffant caps covering all hair and long-sleeved surgical attire covering all exposed skin, this study finds that this mandate does…

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Editor's Note The debate over surgical cap attire has grown from a patient-safety issue to a platform for emotionally driven arguments, unflattering logic, and failed leadership by all parties involved, according to this Viewpoint article in JAMA Surgery. The 2014 guidelines from AORN never explicitly endorsed the bouffant hair cover,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 28 announced the publication of an R3 Report on two new standards designed to improve the quality and safety of perinatal care in accredited hospitals. The standards, which will take effect July 1, 2020, require organizations to examine their processes and procedures for…

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Editor's Note Implementation of opioid prescribing guidelines in the state of Michigan reduced opioid prescription size without negatively affecting patient satisfaction or pain, this study finds. In 1 year, teams at 43 hospitals across the state reduced by nearly one-third the number of opioid pills they prescribed to patients (having…

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