FDA: Class I recall of Medtronic’s Covidien Shiley pediatric trach tubes
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on June 15 issued a Class I recall, the most serious, of certain Covidien Shiley neonatal and pediatric tracheostomy tubes by Medtronic. The recalled tubes were formed with a wider-angle bend than standard models. The company has received reports that patients switching tubes…
AANA applauds Washington Post article on cell phone use in the OR
Editor's Note In a response to the July 13 Washington Post article questioning whether cell phones belong in the OR, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) applauded the Post for covering the pros and cons of the issue. AANA president, Sharon Pearce, CRNA, MSN, notes that the AANA supports…
Hospital volume linked to postop complications in pediatric urology
Editor's Note Urological procedures performed in children at non-high volume hospitals were associated with a higher overall rate of National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) identified postoperative complications, compared with high volume hospitals (11.6% vs 9.3%), in this study. After adjusting for confounding factors, patients at non-high volume hospitals were…
Surgery linked to improved survival rates for ulcerative colitis patients
Editor's Note Ulcerative colitis patients who have surgery to treat their disease live longer than those who are treated with medications, this study finds. Analyzing Medicare/Medicaid data on nearly 33,000 patients with ulcerative colitis, mortality rates were 34/1,000 person-years for colectomy and 54/1,000 person-years for medical therapy, thus showing that…
New clinical pathway uncovers OSA
Editor's Note Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals, Philadelphia, have created a clinical pathway to identify obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in hospitalized patients with known risks. The pathway involved a questionnaire and overnight pulse-oximetry testing. Patients with a high oxygen desaturation index were recommended to undergo overnight polysomnography. Of those…
Medtronic to buy RF Surgical’s sponge tracking system for $235 M
Editor's Note Medtronic has agreed to buy RF Surgical Systems for $235 million. The technology embeds radio frequency tags in surgical sponges, towels, and other products to help track and prevent them from being retained in the patient after surgical procedures. Medtronic agreed to pay $235 million to buy…
Are guidelines needed for cell phones in the OR?
Editor's Note There are no federal regulations or quality measures that address cell phone use in the OR, but some say the time for clear-cut guidelines has come. They cite errors and lax safety procedures that have resulted from physicians and nurses distracted by cell phone use. But others point…
SHEA, IDSA update strategies to prevent SSIs
Editor's Note The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have updated the 2008 Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute care Hospitals. The evidence-based recommendations include 15 strategies for SSI prevention and a special section on implementation that emphasizes a team-based approach…
Device manufacturers strengthening product guarantees
Editor's Note Faced with weak demand and falling prices, manufacturers are improving their product warranties and adding cost-sharing guarantees to compensate hospitals if their medical-surgical devices don’t perform as expected, Reuters reports. Among the companies offering the new guarantees are Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and St Jude Medical, which have…
Effect of smoking on postop outcomes
Editor's Note This study found that current and former smoking by surgical patients negatively influenced outcomes following major cardiovascular and oncology procedures. Current smokers had higher odds of overall, pulmonary, wound, and septic/shock complications compared with nonsmokers. The odds of having adverse outcomes were significantly lower in former smokers, but…
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