Editor's Note Findings from The ARRC II study show using advanced recovery room care (ARRC) for medium-risk surgical patients significantly reduces 18-month postoperative mortality compared to standard ward care. As detailed in a December 11 research letter in JAMA Surgery, this benefit appears linked to minimizing early postoperative complications, which…

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Editor's Note Balloon catheters for atrial fibrillation patients and implantable radiographic markers were the subjects of separate US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class 1 recalls—the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death—announced on December 18. The first recall involves Boston Scientific’s POLARx Cryoablation devices. Higher-than-anticipated reports…

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Editor's Note Bariatric surgery programs nationwide have reported a 20-25% decline in surgical volumes over the past year amid the rising use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications for obesity, OR Management News reported Dec 2. Although the connection between the decline and the popularity of the drugs cannot be definitively…

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Editor's Note Older cancer patients undergoing major abdominal procedures at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island, significantly benefitted from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program, Medical Xpress reported December 10. Citing a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons,…

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Editor's Note The Leapfrog Group has announced its 2024 Top Hospital and Top Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Award recipients December 17, honoring facilities for standout performance in patient safety and care quality. This year, the national employer watchdog organization named 134 hospitals and 31 ASCs as winners of the national…

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Editor's Note Using virtual reality glasses (VR-G) to watch immersive 360-degree nature videos significantly reduces preoperative surgical fear in patients undergoing open-heart surgery, according to a randomized controlled study published November 29 in the Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing. However, anxiety levels were not markedly affected, suggesting targeted efficacy in fear…

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Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies present the greatest technology risk to healthcare organizations in 2025, according to the latest list from ECRI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to safety in the industry. As detailed in the organization’s December 4 announcement, the annual report highlights critical risks that healthcare organizations…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated Cardinal health’s recall of certain lots of the Monoject U-100 1 mL Syringe Luer-Lock with Tip Cap Soft Pack a Class 1, the most severe recall category indicating serious risk of injury or death. The product is designed to administer…

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Editor's Note A quality improvement protocol at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus resulted in a 48.8% decrease in the number of pediatric urology patients returning to the emergency department (ED) unnecessarily within 30 days of surgery. According to a December 2 university report, the initiative has significantly reduced…

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Editor's Note A cohort study conducted across 10 hospitals in the Mass General Brigham system found that stopping universal masking and SARS-CoV-2 testing significantly increased hospital-onset respiratory viral infections, while reinstating masking for healthcare workers reduced those rates. As detailed in a November 27 research letter in Jama Network Open,…

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